Unlikely Circumstance
by SinTotchi
Summary: Armada. Saber is Alexis' brilliant older sister. When the two get thrown into the world of the Autobots and Decepticons, Saber finds herself growing fond of a certain large mech...Rated T for safety. BlurrxOC, probably some StarscreamxAlexis later on.
1. Sudden

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! It's me again, but this time with a fanfic that is NOT a oneshot. Surprise, surprise, eh? This one is _vaguely_ based off a dream I had, and I can only hope that I got all the facts straight. It focuses mainly on the Transformers: Armada storyline, with Blurr and my OC being the main characters. Some chapters won't be too long, some chapters might be longer than this, but I think they will generally stay close to this length. I hope, anyway.  
Feel free to correct any mistakes I made it his one or any further chappies in a review.

Thanks, everyone! And reviews/constructive criticism is always appreciated!

P.S.: I don't own Transformers, unfortunately...  
P.S. 2: I changed Alexis' last name to Anderson...I thought it fit my characters better. Sorry for any inconvenience!

* * *

It was around 6 o'clock when her alarm clock rang. The persistent, annoying beep continued until a hand reached up and slammed itself down on the 'Snooze' button. Simultaneously, the voice of the ever-cheery radio announcer came on and spoke the words that everyone equally ignored, excluding a small percentage that were listening attentively in their cars.

The young woman turned over in her bed, hearing a quiet voice speak in her room.

"Sis, it's time to wake up!" The young brunette said, leaving the door open as she walked inside. She shook the sleepy girl until she sat up, rubbing her face.

"First day of school! And first day of being V.P. at your corporation! We don't want to be late, do we?" She asked, stepping back when the girl stood up.

"I'll see you downstairs!" The young girl quipped, wearing warm, flannel pajamas. She stepped out of the room and began to walk towards her own.

"Aaalright…time to get up. Get up get up get up!" The twenty-something sighed, walking to the bathroom/ Her big feat of the morning was getting up, but once she was out of the shower she would be good to go.

She emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, a towel on her body and another on her hair. She stretched a bit before moving over to her closet and picking out her office-clothes; now that she was vice-president, she was required to wear a business suit on her first day. Afterwards, she could wear almost anything – as long as it was within reasonable limits and followed the small dress-code her position required, of course.

It took her about half an hour to finish getting ready. She wanted to look as business-like as she could, so she wore her hair up in a terra-twist rather than keeping it down.

Her skirt was fitting with her attire; she was wearing a white blouse along with a gray vest that matched her skirt. She looked enticing with the small amount of makeup she had on – blush, eyeliner, and makeup-free eyelashes, curled towards the sky. She was beautiful and single, a deadly combination.

She had had a boyfriend in high school, for a small amount of time, until the two let each other go. He had to move to another state, and with college the next year, they would be too busy to keep their relationship going.

The girl had an unusual name, unlike her sister. Since she was the firstborn, her mother wanted her name to be special, unlike her future classmates.

Her name was Saber. She liked her name; it had always given her an edge, or so she felt. Her sister, Alexis, had a more common name, but even still she was unique.

The two sisters lived alone in the two-story house their parents provided for them. Although there were only four of them in total, their parents had always enjoyed large, luxurious homes. The two sisters received a check each week, in Saber's name, to pay the bill sand get more than plenty of food. Although life was great, the girls missed their parents sometimes, when a photograph or phone call would trigger memories.

Saber had graduated high school early, got an early entrance into college, and was done with her schooling by the age of twenty. She was twenty-two now and vice-president of a major technological company that was responsible for the manufacturing of high-tech computers for important clients, such as the government. They also made and programmed almost all kind of electronic devices, such as PDA's, cell phones, and many other things. She was an extremely smart girl, and fort hat reason, she was mainly alone. Her main company was her sister, and sometimes even her sister's friends when she had to drive them somewhere. Otherwise, she was alone; nobody bothered her at her office, especially when she was working. The only time her secretary, a young college intern, called for her was to remind her of meetings or to tell her she had a call waiting on the line.

There was a board underneath her desk where people could put reminders and memos, if not available by email. She had an office assistant by the name of A.D.A.M. – AKA Advanced Digital Assistant Model -, whom she always turned to if anything was needed. Although he wasn't human, Saber had developed the company's primitive design into her own professional assistant, who, once in a while in her spare time, urged her into having a conversation.

Saber headed down to the kitchen, seeing her sister serving breakfast.

"Hey sis! I cooked us some breakfast." The younger girl spoke, grinning up at her older sister.

"I see that. Thanks! Do you have your stuff ready by the door for easy grab-and-go?" She asked, snatching a few napkins and setting them down on the table.

"Yup. Everything's ready."

* * *

"Come _on_ sis…let's go!" Alexis called, waving from the car. She watched her older sister hurry before stepping into the passenger's seat and putting on her seatbelt.

"Got everything?"

"I'm ready."

"Alright then. We're off!" Saber spoke, switching on the ignition and heading out of the driveway.

Since their house was located on a secluded part of the city, if not countryside, it took them longer to get to their destinations. The two-story house had a large backyard, and a long driveway.

After half an hour of driving, the two sisters arrived at Alexis' high school. It was her freshman year, and Saber could tell exactly how nervous she was by the way her sister fidgeted with her hair and books.

"Relax, Alexis! Rad and Carlos are going to be waiting for you, right? Just compose yourself…take a deep breath…and go!"

The young girl looked at her older sister appreciatively before stepping out of the car and grabbing her books.

"Thanks, sis."

"No prob. Don't forget your lunch." She handed her the brown paper bag before glancing past her, seeing her two friends waving.

"Speaking of Rad and Carlos…" She smiled at Alexis, waving and watching as the girl turned around and ran up to greet her two friends.

Saber turned, smiling inwardly. She pushed down on the gas pedal gently, before moving out of the front lot, just as the buses began to drop off the nervous students.

* * *

At around eight-thirty she arrived at the office. She carried a cup of Starbucks in one hand, and a bag of office supplied in the other. Her purse was slung over her shoulder, and she smiled. She stepped through the automatic doors easily, watching as the receptionist looked up.

"Good morning, Miss Anderson." The woman stated, looking her over with critical, jealous eyes.

Saber smiled at her, ignoring her look and breezing past, to the elevator.

"Good morning."

She pressed a few buttons on the touchpad before entering, her heels clicking gently against the elevator's floor. The glass walls of the elevator surrounded her and she took a clear, elegant sip of her coffee, shutting her eyes.

Her office was almost to the top floor, and when the elevator stopped she promptly exited its glass door and entered the nicely illuminated room, glanding up to see a few smiling faces.

"Hello, interns! We both start new today." She stated, passing through the separated aisle that ultimately led up to her office. She stopped, turning to look at the young girl staring up at her, almost afraid.

Saber offered her a warm smile, motioning for her to sit down. The girl complied and nervously took a seat, fumbling about with some papers on her desk.

"Let's get to work, everyone!" She called out, looking up at the white, neatly printed letters on her office door: 'Saber Anderson, Vice President'.

She turned the knob on the door and entered the dark office, smirking when the lights turned on automatically and a deep, male voice spoke to her.

"Good morning, Isabella." A.D.A.M. stated, a holographic image of a dressed-up, fit gentleman appearing at one corner of the room.

"Why do you insist on calling me by my middle name?" Saber asked curiously, kicking her shoes off and walking up to her neat desk. The white, soft carpet felt nice beneath her feet.

"I enjoy it. It seems more personal." He replied, watching as she set her coffee down and scattered the office supplies on her desk.

"More personal, eh?" She asked, glancing up at the handsome, smiling hologram. "When did I add flirting into your programming?" She asked, teasing and moving her focus back down to arranging her supplies. She fixed the pens and sticky notes to her right, while the phone remained ready on her left.

"You didn't." He replied, crossing his arms and smiling at her. "Vlad did."

"Vlad?" She hesitated a moment, turning to look at him and raising a questioning eyebrow. "You're calling me by my middle name, and he's the only one that really knows it. Makes sense." She paused, following her eyebrows and quirking up a side smile.

"_He_ installed that? How does _that_ happen?...and why?" She muttered, looking at him again and letting out a laugh.

"I'll have to ask him about it later…probably another one of his ideas."

* * *

Saber heard the soft static of the loudspeaker, and the hesitated silence of a newbie. She held back a smile, glancing upwards from her work and setting her cheek against her hand.

"Yes?"

She heard the girl clear her throat before speaking, quietly.

"You have a call on line one, Miss. She says she's your sister."

Saber looked at the blinking red light next to the button that said 'Line 1'.

"Perfect. Thanks." She paused, smiling, "Oh, and next time…"

"Yes?"

"Feel free to talk a little louder."

The girl let out a sigh of relief before answering. "Yes, ma'am."

Saber heard a beep and turned to face the phone. She pressed the button that said 'Line 1', slouching back in her chair and fiddling with a pen.

"Hey sister."

"Sis! I'm calling you during lunch." She hesitated before speaking again, "Um…is it okay if I go to the mall after school? Rad and Carlos wanted me to go explore a cave with them, but I've got a lot of homework – even though it's the first day! - and I need to get some new clothes…"

Saber leant forward, putting her arms on her desk. She could hear Alexis' patient pause as she considered her answer.

"Sure. Call my cell when you need me to pick you up. I'll order some pizza for dinner so you can work and eat at the same time. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, sis! Thanks! I'll talk to you later!"

"'Kay sister. Let me know if you need some extra cash, alright?"

"I will, but I doubt I'll need any. Thanks though. 'Bye!"

"'Bye, Alexis." Saber pushed the 'Release' button on the phone before going back to work.

"I wanted to tell you…you look nice today." A male voice soothed, causing Saber to laugh.

"Don't be silly, A.D.A.M."

* * *

6:30 PM. That was when the earthquake hit. Loud, fast, and sudden – catching people off-guard. Saber raced upstairs to her sister's bedroom, entering and locking gazes with her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. But the place where the earthquake originated from…that's where Rad and Carlos are!" She exclaimed, worried. Saber hesitated a moment before answering.

"Let's go. Get in the car."

* * *

The two arrived at their destination quickly. Saber parked near the cave, and her sister opened the door.

"Go find them, Alexis. Bring them back and we'll take them home."

Alexis nodded at her before running off, jumping over and onto rocks before disappearing from sight.

Saber was about to get out of the car when her phone rang. She reached into her purse and answered it, not bothering to check the ID, her voice firm and stoic.

"Saber Anderson speaking."

"Oh! Saber! You're alright…I'm so glad. How are you and your sister?"

"We're fine," She paused, smiling at her boss' honest worry over her and Alexis' safety, "The earthquake hit over in the mountains. Some of Alexis' friends were there, exploring some cave…she's out there looking for them."

"Well that's not good. I hope they're alright." He hesitated a moment before speaking again, "Well, I was just checking on you to see how you were. I have to call some other employees, you know, the regular stuff. It was nice talking to you."

"Same here." She paused, grinning, "Oh, and I need to talk to you about those 'upgrades' you made to A.D.A.M."

He hesitated again. "Oh…about that…" He sounded as if he'd just gotten caught red-handed, "We'll talk about those later. Be well, Miss Anderson." He waited for her to say goodbye before hanging up, his voice lingering in her head.

"So strange." She said finally, shaking her head and spotting some movement out of the corner of her left eye. However, strangely enough, when she turned, there wasn't anything there.

"I must be going crazy." She muttered, hearing some commotion out of the corner of her right eye and looking in that direction instead. She saw her sister, along with the two boys, all looking shocked and secretive.

"Hey guys! Get in, I'll take you home." She smiled, not wanting to probe about their behavior and figuring her sister would tell her eventually.

The two boys settled into the back seat, and Saber drove off. She pushed her curiosity back, not wanting to push them into saying something they didn't want to say.

* * *

"Guys…I can't keep this from my sister any longer!" Alexis called out, throwing her hands in the air. It had been a month since her and her two best friends had gone back to the cave, and discovered something phenomenal. They were struggling to keep silent, making sure that they would show their trustworthiness.

The two boys looked at her, then each other. They nodded once before looking at her again and smiling.

"We were wondering when you'd cave in. You held out for a while there." They chuckled, "But don't worry. We already talked to them about this and they said that as long as she can be trusted, she can know." Rad explained, smiling at the look of delight on Alexis' face.

"Oh, thank you guys! You won't regret it! I'll have her come with us after school and meet them." She ran off excitedly, hurrying to her class.

* * *

At two forty-five in the afternoon, the bell to dismiss school rang, loud and clear. Students poured out of the school like water from an upturned bottle, and once Alexis exited, she hurried over to the bike-rack, removing the scooter she claimed her sister had 'bought' for her, and waited for her two friends.

When they arrived, the three left toward their respective rendezvous place, where they would meet Saber. Since the three had their own rides, she didn't need to go and pick them up from school.

They arrived quickly and sat on top of a large rock, hearing the soft rumble of a car in the distance. They hopped off the rock and onto their feet, waving at Saber as she arrived.

"Do you think she's ready for this?" Carlos asked, looking at Alexis.

"Psh. Of course! My sister's ready for anything."

Saber parked the car, stepping out and setting the keys in the pocket of the comfortable, form-fitting jeans she was wearing. She also pushed her phone into one of the front pockets, waving at the kids and stepping forward onto the dirt-trodden rocks.

"Hey guys! I'm here. What's all this about this cave you wanted me to see?"

* * *

"Here we are!" Alexis spoke proudly, standing in front of an opening. She crept inside, smiling at the dim light in the distance. They traveled for a few minutes, finally arriving and stepping out into the light.

It was all metal. With the exception of the cave she had just left, everything around her was metal. Saber blinked, glancing around before hearing an unfamiliar beeping. She heard the sound of gears whirring, followed by the same, robotic beeping noise. She turned around and found herself face-to-face with a robot slightly shorter than her.

"Oh!" She jumped back, startled. There was a brief pause when the two of them stared at each other, before Alexis' head popped out from behind the robot's frame.

"Um…yeah. Sis, this is Grindor." She said nervously, watching the varied range of facial expressions her sister gave off. Saber, after getting a moment to regain her composure, cleared her throat and tossed an awkward smile onto her face.

"Sure…Nice to meet you, Grindor. I'm Saber, Alexis' sister." She held out her hand and the small robot mimicked her, giving her a cold, firm handshake. Saber laughed, closing her eyes before freezing when she heard loud, metallic footsteps advancing toward her. Her eyes widened a bit and she looked at her sister, who simply smiled reassuringly. When the footsteps ceased, she slowly turned around and blinked at the sight. Her eyes traveled up the robot's large figure to meet his gaze. She let out a nervous chuckle as her sister spoke.

"Optimus, this is my sister, Saber. Sis…this is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Woo! So, there's the first chapter. I apologize if it's badly written; I started writing it before school ended (which was a couple months ago), so it might be a little crazy. It will get better, I promise!  
I'm going to try and keep with the storyline for Transformers: Armada...although I'm hoping that my Season one, part one DVD's come in the mail soon. I'll end up making another Transformers story, although that one will be based on the 2007 movie.

Thanks for tuning in, and keep checking back for updates!


	2. Spark

**Author's Note:** I'd like to begin by thanking my review-ee/er's. You guys really got me motivated to start on this chapter!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: You know, I thought about explaining her appearance when I was putting it up, but I figured it was too late. So, I'm going to include it in this chapter! Thank you for pointing out the mistakes part, I figured I would have some; I was just too excited to go back and proofread. Blurr is my favorite character from Armada, so you'll be seeing _a lot_ of him in this one. Thank you!

**DarkMizar**: Thank you! I kinda came up with the whole idea in the middle of History class, and the whole 'Alexis should have a sister…' ordeal popped up in there with it.

**blood shifter**: Do I really have you hooked already? Yay! That makes me proud, and tells me I'm at least doing a decent job, haha! Blurr win, in my opinion. He's so awesome! Thanks!

**Mistress Megatron**: I'll be trying to update as soon as I can. Generally it will be almost every night during the summer if I can come up with something and/or am inspired…if I'm too tired or get home too late I'll most likely update the next day or so. Don't be disappointed if I miss updating often – you'll be reinforced with a big, fat chapter when I update! Thank you!

I can only hope that I'll keep all of you interested. If I'm dragging a bit, let me know! Some of the facts might not be too accurate, if you know what I mean…but I'm probably going to introduce Blurr later on in this chapter, if not in the next one. Hopefully this one, though!

Oh, and let me mention one thing: the plot is going to include some of the main things from Armada, like battles, meetings, etc. I'll probably skip time a lot this chapter to make way for the Blurr-liciousness! xD

So now, without further adieu…here's chapter two! (rhyming completely accidental)

P.S.: I do not own Transformers! Even though I die a little inside every time I'm reminded of that.

* * *

Saber felt her knees give way to water once two, no, _three_ more of the giant robots came into view. Her hazel eyes fogged over for the briefest of moments and she could swear she heard something pop in her brain, causing her to malfunction. Her lungs contracted and she felt her bottom hit something cold and hard, which she registered to be the metal floor they stood on.

Locks of her straight dark brown hair fell before her eye vision and she blinked, flinching a bit at the way they had suddenly obstructed her view. She let out a much-needed breath and reached up, her hand trembling uneasily to tuck a few strands behind her ear.

The commander, or the one she _assumed_ to be the commander, stepped up then and brought himself to be at her eye-level. Which, to be honest, wasn't any less intimidating. His golden eyes connected with hers and he spoke up, clearly despite his facial mask, "Welcome, Miss Anderson. I know you must be feeling slightly overwhelmed right now, but please, take a deep breath and allow yourself a moment to calm down." He watched her, noticing the significant decrease of her heart rate and smiling behind his mask, "We are autonomous robotic beings from the planet Cybertron. We came to earth after following the signal that a Mini-Con had been activated, and now we are seeking the rest. I can assure you that no harm will come to you or Alexis as long as you are in my care." He paused a moment, watching the information sink in before straightening up and turning back to his soldiers, waving a hand for them to introduce themselves.

A yellow mech stepped up first, waving a large hand at her and bringing himself down to her eye level. "Hey there! I'm Hot Shot, self-proclaimed Optimus' right hand."

Saber managed a weak smile, her head swaying in what could be called a nod. She reached a hand out nervously, not realizing yet that his hand would engulf hers, and gulped. "Saber Anderson, pleased to meet you." She managed to croak out, surprised when he reached a finger out and used it to shake her hand. This action caused a quiet chuckle to escape her throat and she watched as he straightened up, flicking a thumb in her direction and turning to look at another one of his companions.

"See? Already making progress." He stated boldly, seeming to puff his chest out in a proud manner.

An orange mech stepped up next and grinned at her, holding his finger out and following Hot Shot's example to shake her hand. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Anderson. I'm Smokescreen; Alexis has talked a lot about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope." Saber shook his finger, glancing at her sister and giving her a playful glare. She then turned back to Smokescreen, her lips curling up into a feeble smile. "My pleasure, Smokescreen."

At her previous statement Optimus spoke up, allowing the last mech to step up from the cover of the others. "Oh no, not at all. I think you could be of great assistance to us Miss Anderson. That is, if you'd like."

Saber hesitated a moment, allowing herself to think and blinking at the sudden blue and white mech that stepped up in front of her. She looked up at his massive figure and followed his face as he lowered himself to her level, shaking his finger as well. _"This is getting pretty bad. I wish I was as tall as these guys so I wouldn't feel intimidated…"_ She sighed inwardly before grinning up at the mech. "Let me guess. You're the medic of the group, right?"

The usually quiet mech smiled then and gave her a courteous nod. "You are correct in your assumption, Miss Anderson. My name is Red Alert; it is a great honor meeting you. From what young Alexis has told me, you are quite the remarkable woman." He pulled back, settling into the small huddle the four Autobots had formed.

"_Weeeell_..." Saber spoke up, uneasily, "My sister sometimes exaggerates." She smiled, winking at them and scrambling to her feet. She brushed a bit of dirt from her jeans, but soon after realized it was pointless – the base was clean as could be.

She looked up after a moment of consideration, her gaze traveling to meet Optimus'. "Alright. I'll help you guys out."

At her words, two of the mechs – Hot Shot and Smokescreen – touched fists, and the young teens behind her whooped.

Saber turned around suddenly, pointing at the youngsters and setting her free hand on her hip. "_However_…" She paused, earning a few groans from the three, "You all have to keep me updated whenever I don't come here. Although I _do_ have a feeling I'll be here quite a bit." She smiled slightly, "Don't make me worry about you guys, okay? And make sure to listen to Optimus – when he says no that means _no._" The three teens frowned a bit but nodded nonetheless; Saber knew that they'd be eager to be out in the battlefield with them, but something told her that she could trust Optimus with his decisions. He did lead the Autobots, after all. She doubted she'd ever be able to do that.

Optimus stepped up then, causing Saber to flinch a bit, not too used to the giant footsteps. "My apologies, Miss Anderson."

"Call me Saber. That goes for all of you."

"Alright. Now kids, how about we show Saber around the base?"

* * *

Saber found herself in quite a predicament. Not too long ago a self-proclaimed _drifter_ joined their ranks, designation Sideways, and shook up the base by bringing the kids some motorcycle-induced fun. However, not much time passed until he betrayed them, leaving Hot Shot behind in a crumpled mess and siding with the Decepticons. And now, he had betrayed the Decepticons and claimed that he was working for a higher power – not to mention he would randomly tap into the base's mainframe and cause total chaos.

Something interrupted her musings in the form of A.D.A.M. She looked up from her thoughts, blinking twice and staring at the hologram in front of her, who had his arms crossed.

"Uhwha…?"

The hologram narrowed his eyelids at her, moving his face closer to hers and causing her to flinch back. She nearly fell out of her chair at the move, but his following words caused the girl to let out a yelp of surprise and fall to her bottom on the clean, soft carpet.

"You're hiding something."

Saber looked at him innocently, blinking her curled lashes before giving a soft grunt. She rose from the not-so-comfortable position she'd been in and set her hands on her hips, giving him a gentle glare. "And what makes you say that?"

"You've never acted this odd before. I may be just a program, but my sensors indicate that you are indeed keeping a secret."

"_Uh oh."_ Saber thought; whenever A.D.A.M. spoke of himself in that way and used terms such as 'sensors' or anything within that nature, he meant business.

"Uh…I don't know what you're talking about?" She questioned, waving her hand at him and turning around, glancing out of the window in front of her. Rather than have a wall there, there was glass that allowed her a clear view of the city.

She turned around when she heard no response, and blinked when she realized A.D.A.M. was nowhere to be found. Her eyes grew wide when she heard a familiar chuckling, "…Sideways?" She called out absent-mindedly, glancing around the room until something appeared at the corner of her eye. She turned to look at the figure, staring at the Sideways hologram who, surprisingly, was not much taller than her.

"Wow. You sure have downgraded." She mumbled, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "What are you doing here?"

Sideways glared at her for her previous comment before responding, approaching her slowly. He watched as she moved further and further back, until her back was touching the reinforced glass; she let out a soft cry, suddenly jumping forward and closer to him.

"If by downgraded you mean taking full advantage of your primitive hologram system then yes, I have." He smirked at her, reaching a hand out and seemingly offering it to her to take, "I've got a proposal for you, Miss Anderson. Join me now and my master will be sure to reward you bountifully, " He halted, muttering, " - although I myself don't know why he wants a fleshbag like you –, but that's not the point. If you join me now you will not suffer; refuse and you, as well as your other fleshy friends will suffer _greatly_, not to mention you'll end up serving him anyway. It is your fate."

Saber stared at him awestruck; was he really being serious?

"You've got to be kidding me. Look, I don't know who your so-called _master_ is, but I honestly don't give a damn. Tell your _master_ that he can shove the idea of me serving him up his _grand_ ass, and while you're at it, shove this up yours: _GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE!_" She screamed, pointing at the door and stomping her feet on the ground like a child, to get the point across. What the hell was Sideways thinking? "_Pfft. Like he's going to get _my_ ass into serving anybody. Even Vlad doesn't act like that, and he's my boss…"_

Sideways stared at her, appalled by her suggestion. When her words sunk into his mainframe his optics narrowed viciously, and he approached her, snarling. "You just wait, _fleshling_, you'll suffer your fate! How _dare_ you speak to me in that manner! I will personally make _sure_ that my lord makes you suffer, and if he offers me the chance I will gladly take it. Your time will come, Saber Anderson. You just wait."

Saber resisted the urge to attempt strangulation, knowing very well that her hands would simply go clean through him. Instead, she settled for the best method she figured would injure his pride.

"Well Sideways, I'm sure you're good with acronyms, so to spare you some time…G.T.F.O." She pointed at the door, waiting for his CPU to look up the meaning. She let out a laugh when he simply glared at her, disappearing from the room. "It's not always great to have the internet at your disposal, especially when you're looking up an insult." She grinned, her smile suddenly fading when A.D.A.M. stood before her, his hologram flickering. She watched as his image flickered once more before disappearing completely, and a male voice spoke up, dwarfing any other noise.

"Data corrupted. Initiating system boot up in five minutes.

Loading…

Loading…

Estimated repair time: three hours. Initializing reformatting sequence."

She fell onto her knees suddenly, putting her hands in front of her on the carpet and shutting her eyes. She took a few deep breaths, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in. "So…some extreme power dude wants me to join him. I didn't. Now he's coming after me and everybody else, and he plans to make us suffer…not to mention freakin' Sideways corrupts my hologram system." She paused, letting out a sarcastic chuckle, "Yup. Sounds like a great day."

* * *

"Hey, sis!"

Saber paused when she heard her sister's voice. She was currently tinkering with one of the computers in the Autobot base; she was glad that her gut had told her not to look up, otherwise she'd be knee-deep in pain from the blow to the head she would have received after her forehead met that disturbingly ominous steel wire…

"What's up?" She called after a moment, attempting to squirm her way out of the human-sized hole on the front of the protective metal cover.

"There's a new Autobot that's joined us. They're headed back this way now! Come _on_!"

"WHAT?" Saber called out, sitting up suddenly and hitting the oh-so-lovely wire she had been trying to avoid. "Oh – my – _GOD_!" She screamed, kicking her feet while her upper half was still inside the hole. "That hurt so much!" She could feel a small tear forming at the edge of her right eye but she blinked it away quickly, finally edging out of the hole. Her left hand reached up, resting on her throbbing forehead as she made her way to the hangar where the warp gate resided, uttering a few quiet curses on her way. _"Man, I try __**so hard**__ to avoid that friggin' wire…" _She mumbled something aloud, finally arriving and settling herself in the 'human huddle', _"And yet, I—"_ She lifted her gaze to look at the arriving Autobots, noticing that she was no longer part of the human huddle but rather, stood an unconvincing fifteen feet or so away from the mass of boys that had formed at the base of the newcomer.

She lifted her gaze a little bit more, suddenly meeting the optics of the mech that she faintly heard Optimus introduce as Blurr. There was a brief moment of tension; the boys stopped chattering and asking him questions when they realized that not only was he not going to answer, he had stopped paying attention to them and instead stared at the small human female in front of him.

Saber gulped, feeling her cheeks redden under her caramel complexion. "Um…Hi?" She asked, raising a right hand in greeting and suddenly feeling the weight of everyone's gazes on her.

The proud blue, white, and orange mech hesitated a moment before suddenly moving forward, his footsteps interrupting the silence that had accumulated and breezing past everyone, including Saber, without as much as a hello.

Saber lowered her gaze to meet her sister's, her lips curling into a small frown as she began to reassess the situation.

"…was it something I said?"

* * *

Blurr stood outside defiantly, arms crossed over the chest that bared the Autobot insignia. He could still feel the aftereffects of his spark reaching maximum potential, and even so he refused to believe that what this meant was true.

"_Primus, my spark cover is still radiating heat from the event…"_ He mused grimly, turning his head to the side and letting out an arrogant scoff. He didn't even notice the soft footsteps approaching him until it was too late, and he turned his head to find himself staring straight into angry hazel orbs.

He flinched back; how had he not heard her coming? His processor must've been too busy regrinding the fact that his spark actually _had_ achieved maximum potential, and it hadn't been just a malfunction in his programming.

"Look, Blurr…"

He noticed the anxiety in her voice, as if she was trying to hold herself back from saying something,

"I don't know what I said to upset you or anything, but…"

He watched her curiously, relaxing when she released her lock on his gaze and looked at her feet instead, grinding the ball of her foot into the innocent grass.

"I do not need your apology." He said suddenly, sounding colder than he had intended to. If his scans were right, then the young woman in front of him was his spark mate…but how was that possible? True, he had never had a mate back in Cybertron, but what were the chances that his mate was _here_, in this planet called Earth? Not to mention she was so small…so fragile…one wrong step and she would be gone forever.

"_Primus, why me?"_ He thought sullenly, her voice suddenly bringing him back to his current situation.

"Why are you being such a _jerk_?!" Saber asked angrily, throwing her hands into the air before they moved to settle at her strong hips. Her hazel eyes set on his red optics and she swore she heard herself growl for a moment.

Blurr raised both of his optic ridges in surprise before looking up the term, suddenly looking defensive.

"A jerk?"

"Yes, a jerk! I'm sure you know what it means by now, you've had plenty of time to look it up…" She paused, letting out a breath and calming down a bit, "Look, I know you must find it hard to leave your home and come here to this alien planet, but…you really haven't seen anything! I'm sorry the kids were so annoying earlier, but they're _kids_, y'know? Even so, that still doesn't make up for the way you left us all back there when you first came…without even saying _hello_? I'm sure even in Cybertron that would be considered rude." She halted, catching her breath and shaking her head, waving her hands at him. "Just…nevermind, don't worry about it. I bet you think I'm on my period or something." She thought for a moment, _"Do they even have those?"_, before continuing and staring back toward the base.

"Optimus sent me out here to get you. He wants to talk to you…something about Cybertron?" She added, pointing to where she assumed his spark to be before giving him a small smile. _"Me and my mood swings. He probably thinks I'm crazy…"_ Her train of thought was interrupted when he stood, and she glanced up at him before walking back towards the base.

Blurr stared at her back as she began to walk, taking smaller steps so he wouldn't pass her completely. He caught up with ease, and managed to trot alongside her, keeping quiet and sometimes glancing at her from the corner of his optic.

* * *

Blurr stepped into Optimus' office, which was located close to everyone's resting quarters. He shut the door behind him without saying a word, and nodded at his leader when he turned around.

"Ah, I see Saber found you." Optimus spoke warmly, causing Blurr to straighten up before speaking.

"Yes, she did, Optimus sir. She told me you wanted to speak to me about Cybertron?" He asked, his last words sounding unsure.

"Yes…I did. How was the situation back on Cybertron when you left, Blurr?" He asked, pausing to listen to his field commander give his stats. When he was done, Optimus paused a moment, causing Blurr to hesitate before turning around.

"One more thing." He stated, watching as the mech turned around slowly, standing up straight. "Blurr, you know that we have formed an alliance with these humans. Now, I would like you to get to know them better, starting with your charge, Saber Anderson."

Blurr stared at his leader, his optics widening slightly. "Ch-Charge?" He managed, hoping he hadn't heard his leader right.

"That's right. As of now I am entrusting you with the human female Saber Anderson. You shall be her guardian, and keep her and Alexis safe while you're at their home. Saber received a threat not too long ago from Sideways…" He hesitated, uneasy before continuing, "I want you to get out and explore the planet a little bit more, maybe you'll learn to appreciate it." Optimus smiled behind his faceplate, "You'll like their home, Blurr. From what Alexis has told me they've got quite a bit of land, and seeing as you have already acquired your alternate form, I'm sure you'll be safe from any outsiders seeing your true form if you decide to transform."

Blurr stood, shocked by the sudden news. His mainframe kept whirring, as if refusing to take in the command. After a moment, however, it stopped and continued to run as smoothly as before.

"Yes, sir." Was all he managed to say before turning around and heading out the door. He managed a few uneasy steps to his quarters, and stumbled inside, sitting down on the floor with a large, metal _thud_.

"_So not only is she my spark mate, she is also unavoidable. My plan of avoiding her completely has gone 'out the window' as the humans say…now I've got to be with her almost all 24 human hours of the day. A mech and a human? It's unheard of!" _He thought brashly, pulling out one of his guns and studying it half-heartedly. His audio preceptors picked up a loud 'What?!' coming from the opposite direction, and he recognized it as Saber's voice. She must've found out the news.

His vents released air in the human equivalent of a sigh. "Slag…"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Woo! And there you have it, Chapter two. I decided to bring in Blurr so the chapter wouldn't be unbearably short. Sorry if there's any mistakes/typos/etc., I just finished writing it and I don't have time to proofread it, seeing as how I've got to get up early tomorrow to go to some mentor training…

So how does everybody feel about Blurr's little dilemma? Haha, I thought it was kinda funny…but anyway, this chapter was kind of a fill-in and dull, you'll see more SaberxBlurr action in the next one!

Until then, everyone!


	3. Dirt

**Author's Note: **Once again, let me begin by thanking my review-ee's for taking their time to openly express their feelings towards my work! Let's see…

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I'll try to describe her more as time goes on and Blurr starts noticing her and getting closer. Mwahahaha Blurr has no escape! Thanks for reviewing!

**blood shifter**: Saber doesn't know about Alexis and Starscream yet, no. I think I'll move the focus onto them in a chapter or two, but their relationship hasn't yet started. So, in a way, it's still a secret. A secret that both the sisters don't know, of course!

**DeathScythe119**: I have to say that 'Blurr-liciousness' has become one of my favorite words lately. I haven't read any Blurr stories so far, so if you've got some you can recommend, let me know!

**DarkMizar**: Haha, can't wait for Starscream, huh? Me either! I'm going to have a lot of fun writing his relationship with Alexis…mind you, he's going to be a little mean and/or cranky at first, but it's Starscream, right?

**Nola1**: Thank you for reviewing! I look forward to keeping you interested and writing more for all of you guys' enjoyment.

**Mistress Megatron**: I think it was mainly last chapter that I moved fast, things should be slowing down a bit from now on. xD Lemme guess, Megatron fan huh? I liked him in Armada, he was cool and kind of a jerk…but Blurr was always my fave, haha! There should be a little Sideways bashing coming up, too!

I have a feeling this chapter might have some awkward moments for poor Blurr! I can't really blame him; Saber is kind of a character herself, eh? But no more delay, on with the story!

P.S.: I still own nothing!

* * *

Saber drove with Alexis in her car, glancing in the rearview mirror every once in a while. Her jaw was clenched into a tight frown, and she was trying hard to control her right eye twitching. Her grip on the steering wheel was deadly; she managed to peel her gaze away from the rearview mirror to see their house up ahead.

"I'm glad this car isn't an Autobot; those guys are tough but you're squeezing that wheel with satisfaction." Alexis muttered, causing her sister to let out a forced breath and loosen her grip ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry Alexis, I just can't believe I got stuck with Assbot back there as a guardian." She spoke quietly, relaxing a bit more and allowing her muscles to unwind. Her hazel eyes flickered to the rearview mirror and she couldn't help but smile; Blurr was enjoying himself, performing various car tricks that crowded city spaces wouldn't allow him to.

"I see that smile, sis." Alexis spoke up, her gaze fixed on the right side mirror, noticing what she was smiling at. She glanced back at her sister who quickly dropped her smile and turned her eyes back to the road, causing her to shake her head. "Give him a chance. I mean, if you guys are supposed to be working together, it's at least got to be bearable, right?"

Saber gave a grunt of approval. "Yeah, you're right. I mean, I'm never one to judge people but the way he acted in the hangar back there was just…unheard of. I've never met anyone so rude…" She trailed off, pulling into the driveway and parking the car under the carport her parents had built to keep the cars in the shade. She turned to see Blurr gunning his engine loudly, and she shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Boys will be mechs." She muttered, stepping out without bothering to lock the doors. She walked up to Blurr and patted his hood, blinking when she felt him flinch, "Uh…yeah. Feel free to transform out here, big guy. We're the last house on the road for _miles_." She smiled, watching as he complied and reversed out of the carport, switching the engine off and transforming into his bipedal mode.

"What can I say? The 'rents like their space." She spoke, waving her hand at him, "Now, all of this property here is ours. You can roam around; get acquainted to the place, whatever. _I'm_ gonna go inside and change clothes, and then I'll be out here with a surprise for you." She gave him a small wink; her sister was right, she had to make the best of the situation.

Blurr eyed the small female in front of him with cautious optics, "What _kind_ of surprise?" He spoke, peeling his gaze away from hers long enough to look around at the vast space around him. He had to admit, for a human's home this one seemed pretty nice – nicer than the one's he'd seen coming to and arriving on earth, anyway.

"Pfft, why are _you_ complaining?" She turned around, starting to walk away before she paused and turned back to him. She rummaged through her jeans pocket and pulled out a small Bluetooth headset, laughing when he eyed it suspiciously. "No, it's not a Decepticon device or anything…Red Alert and I built it together, using human technology along with Cybertronian." She nodded, "This is the only one we've built, but it allows all of you guys to get in touch with me. Basically, as long as this thing is in my ear, I'll be able to hear you and talk to you. Okay?" She didn't really wait for a response before turning back to the house, "Now, get comfy and I'll be riiiight back."

Blurr shifted uncomfortably. He moved to the back of the home, his footsteps crushing the grass beneath his feet. He sat down afterwards, optics settling on the doors that led to the backyard of the property. He noticed that one of the rooms had a balcony, with sliding glass doors and curtains to keep some privacy. The balcony had a stairwell that led to the first floor and the ground, but other than these small details nothing else was too particular about the home.

He looked up when his sensors detected a sudden change in lighting, caused by the electricity reaching a light bulb in one of the rooms. His optics quickly landed on the room with the balcony, and he performed a quick scan for any bio-signs, which he was relieved to see were Saber's.

His vents released air as he sighed, dropping his gaze back to the ground. _"Slag it; I should've taken this up with Optimus but I was too shocked to argue. Not to mention a part of my central processor actually __**wanted**__ me to be her guardian. But how does that work, when I want to avoid her? And when she touched me earlier…"_He shuddered at the memory; the simple thought of her soft skin connecting with his armor made his spark overheat. _"Primus, what have I done to deserve this?"_ He thought, frowning beneath his facial mask when his sensors picked up Saber's energy signature coming towards his current location. He crossed his arms defiantly, keeping his gaze away from hers and waiting for her to speak up first. He _wasn't_ going to give in. He couldn't!

"Alright, I'm back. I need you transform back into your car mode, will you do that for me?" She walked over to a hose nearby, filling a bucket up with water and waving her hand at him, "Go on! We don't have much more sunlight left…" She stated the last part quietly, not really caring if he heard it or not.

Blurr moved his gaze to look at her; instead of wearing a T-shirt and a pair of jeans she was now wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a tank top, with her dark brown hair swept up into an untidy ponytail. He could feel his spark reacting to her actions, the way she looked, spoke, everything. He muttered something in Cybertronian before transforming into his sleek car mode, revving his engine at her twice before shutting it off.

"What are you doing, human femme? I'm only complying because you're my charge, so don't think too much of it." He spoke gruffly, although he was actually quite curious to see what his 'surprise' was.

"First of all, it's not 'human femme', it's Saber. You may be a giant alien but you still don't scare me." She paused, giving him a small glare from where she stood before hauling the bucket over to his car form, setting it down next to the driver's door with a small heave and letting out a sigh.

"Secondly, I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. You know, you could be a little nicer…we're going to have to work together whether we like it or not, so we might as well get along." She tapped the left side mirror as if scolding him, before turning back to the bucket and dipping a large sponge into the water. She pulled it out and squeezed it gently, then poured a bit of soap on it and squeezed it again, watching the foam form.

"Have you really not figured it out yet? You're probably not used to this type of low-grade washing, but it'll have to do for now. I figured taking you through all those dirt roads must've been miserable so I decided to be nice." She moved over to the hood, setting the sponge down gently before rubbing it around, allowing the foam to spread onto the car.

"Don't expect this often because it's only when I'm in a good mood, okay?" She added, glancing up and smiling into the front glass; she wasn't sure if he could actually see her but something told her he could.

Blurr, after the first initial scrub, heard his engine give a low rumbling sound, which would be the human equivalent to a purr. She was making this miserable; first looking like _that_ and now _washing_ him? What was she thinking?! He was glad she didn't know the effect she was having on his spark; otherwise she would've probably been too frightened to continue.

Cursing mentally in Cybertronian, he forced himself into a deep stasis cycle. Sure, he wanted to enjoy the feeling of being washed for the first time in quite a few mega-cycles, but his spark wouldn't be able to take the fact that its sparkmate was right there and ready to grab. Not only that, but if he was going to try to ignore his spark's pleas, he had to do the best he could to keep himself isolated from her. Giving the feeling up was a necessary action that he would take in order to prevent anything further happening between them.

When she was done, Saber hosed him down, leaving the disgruntled Autobot looking squeaky clean. She stood back, setting her hands on her hips and admiring her work. "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself." She grinned, picking up the bucket and throwing the water out to the plants nearby. She hummed quietly to herself, half-expecting Blurr to transform back into his bipedal mode. When he didn't, she finished gathering up her supplies and walked back over to him, standing between the headlights.

"Well? Aren't you going to at least say thank you?" She waited for a few seconds before pausing, anger obvious in her face before she considered another thought. She knelt in front of the car, setting her hands and right cheek on the hood, attempting to hear something. She held back a grin when she realized what had happened. "I'll be damned. He went to sleep! He really went to sleep!" She stepped back, stifling laughter and settling for a couple of giggles instead.

"Goodnight, Blurr." She set her hand on the hood again before allowing her fingers to trail the side of the car until she was at the driver's side window, staring at the dashboard briefly before looking at the steering wheel, which contained the Autobot insignia in the middle of it. She stared at it for a moment and smiled, "I know you probably don't like me but I hope that we'll be able to get along. I know you're really nice inside, Blurr. Maybe one day you'll stop putting up that cold front and learn to relax, enjoy your time. But until that time…goodnight." She pressed her fingertips gently against the glass window before turning away and walking back toward the home, setting the supplies on the first floor under the balcony. She then used one of the back doors to head inside and up to her bathroom. After a long day's work, she was in dire need of a shower.

Blurr had woken up just as she had finished drying him off. He remained perfectly still, an art at which all Autobots were masters at, and listened to her words, his spark burning all the while. When she had gone inside he turned the engine over and reversed further back into the property, where trees would shield him from view. He transformed into his bipedal mode and opened the small compartment that hid his spark well, looking into the small hole and noticing his spark burning brightly. He paused before he closed the door again, reaching up to his head and pressing his fingers against the upper left side.

"Optimus, I can't do this…" He said warily, his voice sounding tired despite the much-needed rest he had just gotten.

Optimus, ever-ready for any concern his soldiers might have, responded within a matter of seconds.

"What's wrong, Blurr? I thought you might enjoy a bit of the open road and the sights around their home."

Blurr hesitated, "It's…it's not that, Optimus. You see, I…" He paused, not sure exactly how to word it, "Saber is my spark partner." He blurted out suddenly, his vents releasing air in a sigh after he'd got the words out.

This time, Optimus waited a moment before speaking again.

"I thought as much, Blurr…I figured that's why you acted so strange when you arrived."

"You _knew_?!"

The wise leader had to hold a grin back from showing in his voice, "Yes, I did. Ever since you first laid eyes on her in the warp gate hangar and made your quick exit."

"And even still you made me be her guardian? That's cruel, Optimus."

The latter simply chuckled, "You'll be fine, Blurr. You need to get to know her better. Centuries of war have closed off your spark, and now that it's vulnerable again, you need to learn how to feel. Make the best of it."

Blurr's mainframe made a few clicking noises of protest, but he nodded nonetheless, even though Optimust couldn't see him. "…Alright. Blurr out."

"Optimus out."

Blurr transformed back into his vehicle mode and sped back towards the home, not sure how long he'd been gone. After performing a quick scan of the home, he noticed Alexis asleep in her quarters and Saber returning to hers. When he spotted her in her pajamas, he smirked at the small bunny designs they had on them. However, her next actions stopped him short.

Saber, assuming that Blurr was still readily 'asleep', opened her curtains wide, allowing him a full view of her room. She walked over to the stereo, turned it up to a reasonable volume considering Alexis was asleep, and began bobbing her head to the music.

Blurr transformed again into his bipedal mode, hidden by the shadows but still vaguely able to be seen due to the moonlight. He raised an optic ridge and watched her carefully, trying to hide his amusement at her actions.

Saber shook her hips to the music, drying her hair at the same time. When she was done with that, she picked up a hairbrush and brushed her hair quickly, just before putting it in front of her mouth and singing to the song.

She began to perform a variety of moves that the Cybertronian recognized as what could be called 'dance moves', and eventually fell back against her bed, kicking her feet up in the air. Blurr tuned in to the station she was listening to and watched her actions curiously, noticing as she jumped off the bed before sprinting back up on it, jumping on it a few times and causing her hair to tousle itself about. He inched closer slowly, ever so slightly and watching as the song came to a close. In the last few notes she jumped off the bed, narrowly avoiding hitting her head on the ceiling, and landed on her feet, suddenly buckling under her own weight and falling to her knees. Even still she held her arms out and bowed to the audience, letting out fits of stifled laughter before standing up and brushing her hair once more.

Saber moved over to the vanity in her room, setting the brush back down. She glanced up at the mirror and flinched at the reflection in the glass; she noticed a very _awake_ Blurr in the background, surely trying not to laugh at her actions – and was that a _grin_ she spotted in his optics?

"Uh oh." Her face flushed quickly, giving her usual pink tone a darker hue. She ran over to the curtains and closed them hurriedly, racing back to her room and digging her face into the pillow. She screamed into it, kicking her feet before calming down enough to stand up and walk back over to the sliding glass doors.

She sighed, moving the curtains away before stepping outside after she had opened one of the doors. A small breeze caused her hair to flutter and she tucked a strand behind her ear, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Glad to see you're awake." She muttered, trying hard to remain angry despite the fact that she thought it must've been hilarious, too.

Blurr crossed his arms in response and locked his optics with her hazel eyes, narrowing them slightly. "If by _awake_ you mean online, then yes, I am _awake._ Us Cybertronians don't go to sleep, we go into stasis in which only our basic commands are running while we are allowed to recharge."

Saber held up her hands in surrender. "Ugh, okay! I'm still calling it sleep though."

Blurr mused for a moment before speaking again. "What were those…odd movements you were performing?" He asked, as innocent and intrigued as he could sound.

"It was _dancing_, Blurr. Or, at least, my poor attempt at it." She let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck before looking back up at him. "What are you doing up, anyway? Shouldn't you be in _stasis_ recharging or something?"

"Shouldn't _you_?" He retorted, bringing his face closer to hers and raising an optic ridge.

"You're the one that took a nap while I washed you." She muttered quietly, flinching back when she noticed how close to her he really was.

Blurr narrowed his optics, half-playfully, before replying. "I apologize. I was in a state of much-needed recharge. If it makes you feel any better hum—_Saber_, your washing relaxed my main processor and allowed me to get a brief cycle of recharge while you worked."

"Sleep while the woman works, typical male." She replied playfully, sticking her tongue out before letting out a surprised yelp when she felt his index digit poke her in the stomach. "Hey what was that for?!" She protested, poking back at his finger despite the fact that it was no use.

"My scans indicate that you are in a state of much-needed recharge as well, 'little' Saber." He used the word with slight affection, "So I suggest that you do just that, lest you enjoy having Red Alert on _both_ our mainframes for not getting this 'sleep'you humans require."

"Hey don't call me little! I was actually considered pretty tall until you guys came along." She replied, waving him off and stepping back into her room. She paused a moment, moving the curtain away and poking her head out the door.

"Hey Blurr?'

He nodded at her, in a motion for her to continue.

"Goodnight." She smiled, shutting the door and allowing the curtains to fall back into their usual place. She made her way over to her queen-size bed and adjusted the sheets slightly, grinning and turning the stereo off in the meantime. She slithered into the sheets and dug her face into the pillow, taking in a deep breath before letting it out with what could be considered a dreamy sigh.

Blurr waited for her vital scans to indicate she was indeed sleeping - not just faking it - before transforming into his vehicle mode and slipping into a deep stasis.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And there we go, Chapter three! It's a fairly short chapter, I apologize for that, but I promise I'll make it up to you with Chapter four. Kind of a dull chappie, I must admit, but I have some drama planned for the next one…mwahahaha! Not much to do with Sideways but he might just show up and aid it a little, I'm not too sure of that part yet.

So, until next time, everyone!


	4. Blame

**Author's Note:** Woo, another update! This is pretty exciting. I didn't think people were going to like this story as much as they have, and it makes me proud. Once again, I'll start by thanking my review-ee's for their valuable time giving me inspiration to write!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I know, Blurr is pretty hot isn't he? Especially that deep voice…hehe. Yeah, that line came to me whenever I thought of Blurr just sleeping while she washed him, and I couldn't hold myself back from putting it in there. It was true in that case!

**DarkMizar**: Hey, no worries! My mother tongue is Spanish, and it took me eight years to learn the language I'm typing in. So don't be distressed – I _fully_ understand what you're talking about. I'll do a time skip sometime to integrate more Starscream and Alexis, but until then, it'll mainly be Autobots for now.

**Blood shifter**: Yeah, poor Saber! I felt sorry for her seeing as Blurr is acting all 'high-and-mighty', but what can I say? I want them to get along fine…but the drama is going to be in this chapter, mwahahaha!

**Mistress Megatron**: Party? Haha! I just imagined Sideways raving in the middle of a dance floor…awkward. I think I'll have her ask him to dance sometime, just to see his reaction. And to answer your question, I think he's opening up just a _little_ bit. He tends to be pretty quiet and secretive so I'm trying to keep him in character, although later on he won't act so stubbornly. Thanks!

**Nola1**: Aww, thank you! Here's an update for you, then!

So, on with the story!

P.S.: I _still_ don't own Transformers, sigh…

* * *

The day started out pretty normal. Well, as normal as living with a giant robot could be. After a couple of weeks of talking to Blurr and getting some personal info out of him, she realized that she was actually taking a liking to the stubborn bot. Sure, he was still kind of a jerk sometimes, but that was his personality.

Plus, he had developed the courtesy of allowing her to drive his vehicle mode places, and even took him to work once. Although _that_ trip hadn't turned out so well, seeing as how he had gotten impatient from sitting out there for _hours_ on end and, eventually, began to blare his horn to her window until a disgruntled Saber appeared at the main entrance and took him home, griping the whole way.

But this night was different. Saber had plans which she had forgotten to tell Blurr about, and it wasn't until a sleek Lamborghini Murcielago pulled up at her front door that she realized her mishap.

"Alexis! Tell him I'll be right there!" She called out, getting a word of approval from her sister before opening the door to the balcony in her room and stepping outside, blinking twice. The sun had begun to set and it caused a soft glimmer to appear on her cheeks, giving her a radiant glow as she set her hands on the railing and looked down at Blurr.

"Blurr…" She called out quietly, not wanting her guest to know about the Autobot.

Awakening from stasis the bot grumbled, although to Saber's ears they were merely a pattern of beeps and grinding gears. He revved his engine lowly; by the tone she had spoken to him in he figured he needed to be pretty quiet.

"Look, you're going to hate me, but…" She hesitated, tucking a piece of curled hair behind her ear, "I forgot to tell you. My boss wanted me to be his escort tonight for a dinner with some of the heads of other major companies; I'll be coming back pretty late so don't wait up for me, okay?" She smiled, hoping he understood.

At her words he shifted his gaze to her; he had been scanning the home and was thinking of eliminating the sudden foreign energy signature that he had detected, but he realized that this human male must be the 'boss' she was talking about.

His attention was soon moved away from the male to Saber's form. She was wearing a scarlet dress that reached to just below her knees – there was a small slit on the left side beginning at her lower thigh that exposed a little of her tanned legs; her dark hair, rather than being straight, was curled from the middle to the end, giving her an elegant air. Her hazel eyes stood out with her soft golden eye shadow; her eyelashes were curled and her cheeks sported a hint of blush, which was aided by the natural pink hue of the skin on her cheekbones. Her lips were glossed slightly; Saber wasn't a woman of makeup but she sure knew how to apply it when it counted. She was wearing long earrings that reached to her jawbone, and a matching diamond necklace that glinted slightly with the setting sun. Blurr was taken aback by the sudden change in appearance; he had always thought Saber was beautiful and now more than ever his opinion didn't change.

It didn't take long for him to remember the male and felt jealousy pulling at his spark; he couldn't blame Saber for not knowing his feelings towards her but he just couldn't _believe_ this human male was taking her out to dinner, without his _permission_, nonetheless. True, the male didn't know that he existed, but Blurr had half a processor to transform right then and there and scare the man half to death, _literally_.

Releasing air from his vents in what could be called a sigh, he simply turned his engine over and remained silent, waiting for Saber's reaction.

Saber watched him curiously; she had a feeling he'd been watching her this whole time but when he turned the engine off and sat still, she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"The silent treatment?" She muttered quietly, pulling back a little from the balcony. She hesitated a moment before speaking again.

"Blurr, are you _mad_ at me?" She asked, her voice not hiding the surprise that was so obvious on her face.

The Cybertronian simply remained still; he wasn't going to give in to this woman, not today. If she wanted to go out and enjoy herself fine, but she could've at least told him beforehand. He began to slip off into stasis, but not without hearing her last words.

"Grumpy 'bot." She mumbled, her lips turned down into a frown. She shook her head, curls flailing about, before turning and entering her room again to grab her purse.

Once downstairs, she gave her sister a hug before turning to her boss and ushering him out the door. "Go on, go on! We don't want to be late, do we?" She asked, letting out a soft laugh and allowing him to open the door for her. Once inside, she buckled her seatbelt before admiring the inside of the car; it was not as luxurious and advanced as Blurr's, she had to admit, but even still it had potential to rival it.

* * *

Saber arrived home at midnight, not realizing the fact that Blurr had parked himself next to the home so he would be sure to see her when she arrived. After Vlad opened the door for her to step out, she thanked him and walked up to the front door, hearing the car door close behind her. She turned and stood under the porch light, smiling up at him.

"Thanks, boss. I really had a great time. Not to mention, I have a feeling we'll be gaining some new clients soon, don't you think?" She smiled, her cheeks still had their rosy hue despite the fact that some of the blush had come off as the evening wore on. Her hair was still intact; she hadn't used much hairspray but it had worked nonetheless.

The man waved his hand at her, shaking his head. "Don't mention it. I had a great time too." He paused, nodding his head, "Yeah. I bet the government's going to have to fight for priority at our company soon."

Blurr, although in vehicle mode, could feel himself glaring at the human male. He wanted to crush him under his palm for taking _his_ Saber away, even if it was just for one night. _"Primus, are these the effects that my bond has to her heart? I'm willing to injure innocent humans to keep her close and safe…" _

His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted the man leaning closer to her; he didn't notice Saber's look of surprise but simply glared at the man, his processor too overloaded to do anything. He didn't realize that Saber turned her head so instead of kissing her lips the man kissed her cheek.

After the man pulled away Saber patted his shoulder, giving him an apologetic smile. She turned back to the home and stepped inside, shutting and locking the door behind her. She had half a mind to turn back and set the record straight, but she was sure her actions had done the talking for her. After all, people couldn't help how they felt about each other, right? Saber had no attraction to Vlad; he was funny, smart, and rich but that didn't matter to her. She wanted something more, someone that wouldn't be so easy to get along with…it sounded crazy but deep inside she wanted a stubborn, slightly grumpy, overprotective male. Someone like…Blurr.

"Oh…_god_…" She whispered, raising a hand to her mouth and covering it slightly. The gloss had left her lips once the food had been served at the gathering, and she hadn't bothered to put any more on since.

She tried to shake the thought out of her head as she changed out of her clothes; she slipped into some comfortable pajamas and removed any makeup she had remaining. Her hands trembled as she opened the door, parting the curtains and stepping outside. She shut the door softly before looking around, spotting the mech in the same spot he had been when she had left. _"Good, he didn't see the kiss…"_ She thought, fingers wrapping around the strong metal railing of the balcony. Her eyes settled on Blurr's form, and she hesitated a moment before opening the small gate that allowed her access to the ladder. She climbed down without much effort, making her way over to the mech that she assumed was sleeping.

She reached a hand out gently, touching the hood of the car. She frowned when she realized that it was warm, but she let out a loud gasp when the car suddenly roared to life and Blurr's high beams were blaring in her face.

Blurr growled in the form of his engine roaring, the lights were to show her that he was indeed very much awake. He shifted gears into reverse and backed away from her, shutting off his lights when he realized that Alexis was sleeping inside the home.

"What…?" Saber blinked; the light from his head lights had been pretty bright, and she tried to blink it away. She shook her head twice, looking back at Blurr and taking a step towards him, watching as the mech backed up in return.

"Blurr, what are you doing?" She asked angrily, pointing at him.

As much as his spark ached, the stubborn mech kept backing away from her. It wasn't until they were a reasonable distance from the house that he transformed suddenly, catching Saber off guard and causing her to fall on her bottom. Angry, he set each of his hands on either side of her and lowered his face, optics glowing bright red.

"_What_ were you doing with that human male?!" He growled, optics narrowing at her viciously.

Saber suddenly felt very intimidated. She attempted to back away but was met with his cold metal hand, causing her to let out a yelp. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure and she glared right back, pointing in between his eyes. "I told you before I left, we went to a gathering! Jeez, Blurr, what's _with_ you? And why does it matter, anyway?"

Blurr ignored her questions, bringing his face close enough to feel her hot breath on his faceplate. She was making it hard to concentrate, especially with those hazel eyes glittering in the moonlight. Nonetheless, he continued on with his _very_ angry ranting.

"I saw him perform the human show of affection called a kiss on your cheek. I may not be Red Alert but even _I_ could sense his pheromone levels rising when he looked at you."

Saber stared at him, turning her face away. Her eyelids were narrowed and she continued to glare, crossing her arms. "It's not like it matters to you! So what, a guy can't _like_ me now that you're around? Excuse _me_, but since when do you control Saber Anderson?" She retorted, turning her gaze back to him. She stood up, putting her hands on her hips and causing him to move his face back a little, "Look Blurr, I don't know what's come over you today but you need to relax. Vlad and I—" She was interrupted when a massive hand scooped her up, causing her to squirm in his grasp. "Let me down! What are you doing?!"

Blurr suddenly brought her close to his face; as unbearable as it was to touch her anger had clouded over his central processor.

"I don't _care_ what you and _Vlad_ did." He said coldly, watching as he face went from angry to shocked. "Actually, no, I don't care about _you_, your human _friends_, your human _family_, or anything that has to do with _you_. So from now on, you're on your own. No more 'Blurr, take me here' or 'Blurr, do this for me'. If you, human _femme_, think you're so capable of taking care of yourself then do it. I. Don't. _Care_."

Saber blinked away the tears that formed at the corners of her eyes. His words had stabbed her deeply; she was used to being alone, and now that she was getting used to having a companion he suddenly up and left her? What did she do wrong?

She felt air escape her as she tried to remember the last time she cried for being upset. It had been when her parents had left for another country, with no promise of returning permanently, and leaving her in the care of her younger sibling, Alexis. How dumb had she been? Man or mech Blurr hadn't been any different than all the men she'd heard about in the office, leaving for one reason or another, and casting their close ones aside like trash.

She felt her mind come back down to earth when said mech set her down - a little too forcefully; she had to admit – in the backyard where he had previously been parked. Her legs crumbled beneath her weight and she fell to her knees, hands reaching out to keep her from falling forward. Her hair covered part of her face as she stared at the ground, trying hard not to look weak in front of this battle-hardened warrior.

_Well, don't it always seem to go  
That you don't know what you got till it's gone  
They paved paradise to put up a parking lot_

It took her a second to register the clicks and whirrs of his transformation, and much less to realize that the engine fading into the distance was indeed his. It was at that point that she felt her walls come down; defense breaking like glass against the floor as the tears came, nonstop, and covered her face with glittering sorrow. She stifled a few sobs, not wanting to wake her sister up, and managed to get herself to stand, trembling even as she made her way up the ladder. She entered her room and curled up on her bed, tears staining the clean sheets and the pillow she was resting on. After half an hour her body finally gave in to sleep, and with a few remaining shudders she drifted off, feeling cold and alone.

_Well now, they paved paradise  
And put up a parking lot_

* * *

A few days passed after the incident, and Saber refused to go to the Autobot base. After breaking down like that she was sure that if she saw Blurr she'd go on a rampage, as futile as it would be; however, she decided it was for the best if she stayed away for a while and did her own work.

_I don't wanna give it  
Why you wanna give it  
Why you wanna givin it all away_

Saber had been reluctant to tell her sister about what happened that night, but after much begging and pleading from her sibling she finally gave in and told her everything. The two weren't good at keeping secrets from each other, so she figured that since Alexis had told her about the Autobots she should tell her about the one that broke her heart. She hadn't realized how much she cared for Blurr until he left, but she absolutely _refused_ to even look at him until he apologized. He hadn't allowed her the chance to explain what happened, and she wouldn't sink low enough to go apologize to _him_. After all, wasn't this his fault anyway?

_Hey, hey, hey  
Now you wanna give it  
I should wanna give it  
Now you wanna givin it all away_

She let out a tired sigh; she had managed to snag a whole week's vacation, which had mainly been spent buying new clothes for her and Alexis as well as redecorating some of the house. She hired an artist to draw designs in a couple of the six guest rooms, all downstairs, and she found herself once again staring at the beautiful picture he had drawn inside the third guest room to the right. Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a strange noise; she blinked and stepped outside of the room, shutting the door behind her. She followed the direction of the noise into one of the rooms she was most proud of in the home, which contained all the electronics. She glanced up at the double monitors that were for the main computer, and stared when she noticed the picture flickering.

_Hey, paved paradise, put up a parking lot  
Paved paradise, and put up a parking lot..._

"Hello?" She called out uncertainly, raising an eyebrow. She gasped when she felt someone grab her by the waist and swing her around, causing her to slam into the wall. She let out a painful groan and slid down the wall, but it wasn't long before the perpetrator walked up and used his metal hand to grab her neck, raising her to her feet.

"S-Sideways…" She managed to choke out, reaching her hands out to grab his arm. She kicked her feet a few times since he was holding her above the ground, and let out a sigh of relief when he lowered her slightly so her feet would touch the floor.

"Glad to see me?" He chuckled viciously, purple optics lowering in malice. He could sense her fear and he was more than happy to thrive on it. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"How are you…?"

"Glad you asked. You see, I hacked into Red Alert's files back at your Autoscum base, and found that he was currently upgrading every mech's hologram to include a matter generator. Simply search online for a reference to what you want to look like, pass it through your central processor that will activate the matter generator and there you have it, not so much of a hologram anymore." He smirked beneath his faceplate, "I, of course, chose to look like myself, but the main purpose is for the mechs to be able to fit in with you…_humans_…" He said the word with aggravated disgust and brought his face closer, his grip tightening on her neck.

Saber shut her eyes, struggling to catch air. She began to feel her mind spinning, and when she opened her eyes again, she noticed everything was slowly turning black.

"D-Damn…you…"

"Save your breath, Princess. I won't kill you, otherwise I'd make my boss mad, but take this as a warning: _no matter who comes, no matter who aids, he will be there. He's waiting…_"

Saber barely heard his last words, rendered unconscious by lack of oxygen.

* * *

Optimus knew something was wrong. Ever since Blurr had returned to base, nearly overloading his mainframe with anger, he had felt something coming. And now, as Red Alert, with Alexis' help, struggled to bring the base's defenses back online, the feeling was worse than ever. He let out a gasp when Sideways' imagine appeared on the screen.

"Sideways!" He called out, narrowing his golden optics at the traitor.

"Good, you remember me Optimus…" He let out a low chuckle, and a live feed of the outside of their base popped up below him, "I warned her, now I'll warn you. You can't stop the threat, and if you try to stop my master…he will _crush_ you." With a few remaining laughs, Sideways' imagine faded off and the feed of the base grew to cover the whole monitor.

Everybody in the room let out a simultaneous gasp of horror. Even Blurr, who had hurried to the room once the commotion began, stared in shock at the image before him.

"Is…this live?" He asked quietly, getting a simple nod as a response from Optimus. There, on the screen, lay a battered and unconscious Saber. She was outside the base, her small body's movements not visible on the screen. Without another word, Blurr transformed and raced out of the base, to where she was laying. He transformed back into his bipedal mode and scooped her up in one hand, racing inside and into Red Alert's medical bay.

The blue and white mech was quick to follow, taking the small human from Blurr's hand into his own and setting her down on one of the large metal beds.

* * *

Half an hour later, Red Alert stepped out of his medical bay and into the hall of waiting Autobots and humans alike. He scanned their faces briefly, making a double take on Blurr's before looking down at Alexis.

"She'll be fine. Her bio-signs are getting stronger as we speak. I don't know what Sideways did to her, but I have a feeling he didn't intend to hurt her…I scanned her body for any injury and found minimal. Some bruising on her back and neck, but other than that, she'll be fine. Sore, but fine." He paused, "Whoever Sideways did this for must've ordered him not to kill her…which means now she is in even more danger. If Sideways held himself back from taking her life…then she must be important to their plans."

At that Optimus let out a quiet hum, nodding once before setting his hand on Red Alert's shoulder. "Thank you, old friend. Now, I suggest you get some much-needed recharge; you've been working nonstop not only in the bay but in the communications room as well." He noticed the medic's hesitation, "Go on, we'll take it from here." He smiled underneath his face plate when Red Alert complied, moving to his quarters and settling down for recharge.

"I'll watch over her." Blurr's voice came suddenly, surprising everyone in the room. Sideswipe, a new addition to the team, widened his optics and opened a private radio link with Hot Shot. Blurr turned to give Sideswipe a glare, then relaxed and stepped into the medical bay, knowing what Optimus' answer would be. He had left Saber once, and this had happened to her in his absence…he didn't plan to do it again. He reached a digit out and used it to pick up her hand, before wrapping his massive hand around her tiny one. He made a note to apologize deeply as soon as she awoke, but until that time, he drifted into stasis, hoping she would forgive him.

* * *

Saber awoke to a warm right hand. She mumbled incoherently before turning her head, trying to ignore her fading headache. She opened her eyes, which widened when she realized where she was and who was sitting next to her. Her eyes traveled down to her hand and she couldn't help but smile; as much as she disliked Blurr at the moment she couldn't help but see how comical his hand looked when it held hers.

She was interrupted when said mech stirred, indicating he had come online, and hazel eyes settled on fiery red optics. She felt Blurr remove his hand hesitantly, before parting her lips to reveal pearly whites and ignoring the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"You are _such_ a jerk."

* * *

**Author's Note**: And there you have it! Chapter four, as written by yours truly. xD I have to admit that chapter was a bit confusing for me to write, seeing as how I had to make sure Blurr remained in character and I had to make him _mean_! But no worries!

That snippet of song was 'They Paved Paradise' by the Counting Crows; it came to my head as I wrote that part so I decided to put it in there. Sorry if it was badly embedded, I tried. XD

Um, teaser for next chapter…: Starscream appears and his relationship with Alexis begins, aaaaand…Blurr _apologizes_! Ha, how hard is _that_ going to be for him? Watch his struggle in the next episode of Unlikely Circumstance!

P.S.: Wouldn't this be a weird TV show? Haha!


	5. Close

**Author's Note**: Wow I never thought I'd get this much response for my story, but thank you all! Let's begin with the review-ee's, shall we?

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I think everyone's looking forward to the apologizing. I plan to make it…interesting, to say the least! Starscream is pretty high up there in my list of 'bots; he settles into a cozy second place below the one and only Blurr. xD

**Nola1**: Glad I've kept you interested so far! All these reviews make me happy.

**blood shifter**: You know, in a way, I guess you could say they have. xD It's pretty interesting considering they never really 'got together' in the first place. I plan on including their holoforms in this chapter, and if not in this one, then the next one.

**Azura Blood Reaver**: Thank you very much! I hope I keep you interested throughout the rest of the chapters!

**Mistress Megatron**: It'd be an interesting TV show, with a lot of awkward moments and Blurr being a (hot) jerk, haha! Starscream shall be introduced in this chapter; some little fluff but their relationship will progress with each chapter. I have a feeling Blurr apologizing is going to make me laugh as I write it. Thank you!

Now, on we go!

P.S.: I am sad to announce that I _still_ don't own Transformers…double sigh.

* * *

Saber stood outside, much to Red Alert's dismay, admiring the sunset. Her lips were curled up into a smile, and she couldn't help but think about how much she loved the view. She was, ironically, standing at the place where she had first had a 'conversation' with Blurr, and when that realization hit she let out a deep sigh and sat down cross-legged on the tall rock.

"I can't believe this happened." She uttered after a while, her mind too far into her thoughts to realize the heavy footsteps that approached her. She put one hand against her face, bottom lip quivering as she remembered the words Sideways had spoken to her back at home. _Home!_ The sanctity of her house had never been interrupted before, and now it had been tainted by the most traitorous, low-life _Decepticon_ ever on the face of the Earth. Was he still even a Decepticon?

She heard a few clicks that mimicked the sound of someone clearing their throat, and she looked up in confusion to see Blurr standing there. Her mind traveled a hundred miles an hour until she remembered how he had acted, and she promptly crossed her arms in front of her chest, turning her head away from him.

Blurr, knowing she was not only emotionally but visibly upset with him, felt his shoulders slump and cast his gaze aside. He had never been a 'bot to apologize, much less to a race that was 'lower' than his, but his spark told him it was the right thing. _"Slag it…"_ He thought, trying to come up with a way to apologize to the small human in front of him.

"I…" He trailed off, hearing a small whine coming from his vocal processors. His vents released air in a sigh and he rubbed the back of his neck, looking up when he felt someone's intense gaze on him.

"What do you want?..." She asked simply, sounding slightly upset.

He scanned her body and noticed that her tear ducts were acting up; if he didn't say something soon he was sure to have a crying female in front of him, and he couldn't take that; much less when said female was his spark mate. _"Primus, this has to be the most infuriating femme I've ever met…"_ He thought, glancing down slightly to meet her gaze.

"Look, Saber…" He paused, struggling for words, "I don't do this often, but…" He paused again, hesitating and going over the line a few more times in his central processor before speaking it, "…I apologize. Not only for my actions, but for the pain I caused you with my words. I didn't mean what I said, you see I…" He trailed off, not really sure how to continue.

Saber stared up at him in shock. "You're apologizing to me?" She said quietly, at which she received a nod. She gazed into the proud mech's red optics with curiosity, before pointing at herself.

"So you mean you don't hate me?"

He shook his head, glancing away but not before he heard a high-pitched squeal, which caused him to fall onto his aft. He looked up at the girl in surprise, staring at her as if she was crazy.

"What's wrong with you? Have you forgotten to take your medicine?" The mech groaned, rubbing his head. One more of those and he was sure that his central processor would've overloaded and put him permanently offline.

"No, _Blurr_, I don't take medicine." She stated proudly, sticking her tongue out at him and standing up. At her motion, he stood up as well, wary to keep his distance from the crazed femme.

"But the reason I did that was…" She paused, now she was the one scrambling for words, "…I didn't want you to be mad at me." She said simply, casting her gaze to the ground and letting out a tired sigh. "It hurt me when you left like that, Blurr, but…what was worse was that you didn't give me a chance to explain myself. I wanted to tell you that, although my boss may have feelings towards me, I don't have them back. What you saw back at the house was me trying not to make him feel too bad; after all, he is my boss and I have to give him respect." She paused, sighing, "I didn't mean to upset you. I really didn't." She added, jumping in surprise when she noticed a hand outstretched towards her.

She looked up at him, then back at his hand. She cautiously stepped into it and held on to his finger for support, blinking twice at his motion.

He brought her close to his face, so that she could see his sincerity, "You do not need to apologize. It was my fault that this happened; if I had been there then Sideways wouldn't have hurt you." He brought his other hand to cover his spark casing, and nodded once. "You have my word that I will protect you from this day forward." He paused, "If you want to take the offer, that is."

Saber's lips curled up into a smile; she set her hands on her hips and she leant forward slightly, lips parting to reveal her pearly whites.

"Alright, I'll take it. But you better remember that you're taking care of me, and not one of the kids." She paused, winking, "And I've got your first task as my renewed guardian."

* * *

Blurr hated her. He _seriously_ hated her. Of course she'd give him punishment as his first task, and she knew it, too! She knew how much he hated sitting still for too long, and he had been in this parking lot for _four hours_. Four hours of teenagers fawning over his sleek design, build, and wheels. Four hours of little chubby human children rubbing their ice cream-covered hands all over his clean paint job. And four _hours_ of sitting still, in the blazing sun, without being able to move one single bolt. Oh yes, he _hated_ Saber Anderson for her horrific idea of bringing him to the mall, of all places, and using his weaknesses against him.

He spotted said devil through his rearview mirror and his engine roared to life, causing the humans around him to scatter like chased birds. However, he couldn't help but smirk inwardly when the crowd of teenagers, mainly the males, stared at Saber in a mix of awestruck jealousy, desire, and pain as she set the shopping bags in his passenger seat and buckled herself in snugly. But of course, who wouldn't stare at a gorgeous girl as she made herself comfortable in a Maserati MC12, only seen in dream car magazines, posters, and calendars?

Saber smiled down at the steering wheel, setting her gaze on the Autobot insignia in the middle of it. She patted the wheel affectionately, before peeling out of the parking lot, pretending to drive. "So, how'd you like your first task, Blurr?" She asked, trying to hide the amusement in her tone.

"You fry my circuits, Saber Anderson." Was his reply, his deep voice echoing inside the cabin. He heard her giggle at his words and suddenly began to increase his speed, causing the latter to let out a gasp.

"You are _so_ going over the speed limit!" She cried out, throwing her hands in the air before putting them in front of her face. The scenery around her started to blend in before ultimately becoming a blur of green and brown. She let out a high-pitched shriek, her heart rate increasing rapidly as her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Oh – my – _GOD!"_

"Relax. I'm your guardian, remember?" Came the curt response, followed by soft chuckling. He was keeping close tabs on her vital signs; she wasn't going to go into shock anytime soon so he felt it was fair to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Guardian that's trying to kill me!" She screamed, looking up and realizing she could barely make out the road. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

"If you dirty my insides, Miss Anderson, you'll find a very unwelcome surprise when we stop at the base."

Saber slowly began to relax; her heart rate went back down to normal and she began to find herself enjoying the ride. Her hazel eyes widened and she began to laugh, much to Blurr's surprise.

"You're enjoying this?" He asked, halfway appalled – this _was_ supposed to be her punishment, after all.

"I'm free!" She cried out, throwing her hands in the air and making whooping noises. "Faster, faster!"

As crazy as he figured she was, Blurr complied and sped up accordingly; within a few minutes they were back at the Autobot base.

Saber crawled out of the car, falling gently onto the earth. She rolled around, laughing hysterically and kicking her feet. "That was the greatest thing ever!" She managed to croak out, feeling a hand wrap around her waist and pick her up.

Blurr scanned her curiously; everything was working perfectly fine, even after he did a double check on her brain. He noticed the tears at the edges of her eyes and raised an optic ridge, "You are leaking lubricants from your optics, Saber Anderson. Do you wish for me to take you to Red Alert?" He asked, sincerity in his voice. He reached over and picked up her shopping bags that had fallen out when he opened his passenger door, and shook his head as he entered the base.

"No, no…I'm fine." She waved her hand at him, calming down and stifling a few giggles. She rubbed her eyes and looked back up at Blurr, a large grin spreading on her face.

"I'm sorry I made you sit there for two hours."

"_Four_ hours." He corrected, smiling slightly underneath his faceplate when she waved her hand at him. "But I suppose I deserved it. It was a good punishment, I must admit…" He added, words trailing off when he noticed a certain red and white Decepticon standing in the middle of a circle of Autobots. He looked at his comrades in concern before setting Saber down by the rest of the humans and walking up to Optimus.

"Optimus, sir…what's going on?"

* * *

"I don't think we should trust him."

"Why not, Carlos? He gave us information on the Decepticon base; he's trying to prove his loyalty…we ought to at least give him a chance."

"I agree with Alexis. He deserves a chance; after all, we didn't know that Scavenger was an Autobot in disguise. Maybe Starscream can change."

Saber watched the three teenagers with a frown. The sudden addition of Starscream into the Autobot ranks left her confused, but what worried her was the look in her sister's face. Her green eyes showed determination and…affection? When the three had calmed down she took her sister's arm and asked her to talk. Alexis, being Alexis, gave her sister a smile and easily agreed.

Once they were outside, Saber stood in front of her sister with her hands on her hips.

"Alright, spill it."

Alexis blinked twice. "Wha?"

"Tell me how you _really_ feel about Starscream." Saber ordered, her intense gaze causing her sister to flinch slightly.

After a moment's hesitation, Alexis sighed. She brought her hands up in surrender, looking away. "He's…he's got potential, sis. He can be a really good Autobot, I know it! He's trying to prove his loyalty…he deserves a chance. Just like everyone does."

Saber looked in the opposite direction of her sister and noticed said Decepticon looking quite flustered. She gave a small smile before speaking up.

"You say everyone needs a chance?" She asked, causing her sister to look up. She pointed in Starscream's direction, "Well, here's yours."

* * *

Saber stared at the screen in anxiety. She held her sister's hand tight as the battle raged on before her, and she watched her guardian closely to see how he was faring. When one of Demolishor's blasts struck him deep in the side, her eyes widened and she let go of her sister's hand, shaking her head in disbelief. "No…no…" She whispered, watching as Blurr remained on the ground.

He eventually rose to his feet again, but he took many blows after protecting Optimus and Sideswipe. Saber looked away; the Autobots had won the battle with the aid of Starscream, and were returning to base. She ran to the warp gate, searching between the bots to find Blurr. He was standing, weakly, but he was standing. Red Alert urged him to the medical bay, leaving all other 'bots behind and tending to his wounds first.

Saber couldn't bear to see him in this condition. She ran outside, to the same spot where he had apologized, and climbed up on the rock, digging her face into her hands. She calmed herself down, and, after a few minutes, looked up at the setting sun. Was she always out here when the sun was setting? She couldn't remember. She looked to the side, and spotted Starscream in the distance, looking down and seemingly speaking to someone. She gave a small smile, _"Always persistent."_

It wasn't until the sun had completely set and the stars were shining brightly above that she heard a familiar pair of footsteps. She turned, scrambling to her feet, and looked up at a repaired and healing Blurr, who looked down at her with concern.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked, holding his hand out and allowing her to climb onto it. "The earth temperature is dropping; you have no extra outer layers to cover you should you get cold."

Saber shook her head, allowing a much-needed laugh to escape her mouth. "I'm glad to see you're okay. How are you feeling?"

The mech stared at her in confusion, glancing down at his form before looking back at her. "Well, my systems are fully online. There was no critical damage done to my central processor or my spark; my armor took all the damage. Red Alert fixed a few minor problems, but other than that I am going to survive." He added, watching as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, I was worried…"

"About me?" He asked abruptly, obviously surprised.

"Well…" She paused, "About everyone. But you, mainly." She admitted, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She let out a quiet yelp when he suddenly moved her closer to his face, inches away from his faceplate.

Blurr studied her carefully; she was really telling the truth, to his surprise. Sure he worried sometimes in battle about his comrades, but centuries of war had made him accustomed to any casualties. So now that this small femme stood in front of him, plainly telling him that she cared, caused his circuits to go on the fritz and his spark to react accordingly – by growing hotter and hotter each second he looked at her. Her next movement took him completely by surprise.

Saber took a step forward, reaching her hands out and wrapping them around his face mask. She turned her head, setting her cheek gently against his faceplate and shutting her eyes, letting out a sigh.

"I didn't want to lose you." She admitted quietly; as outgoing and cheerful as Saber was, she had a hard time expressing her feelings towards somebody – especially someone she cared deeply about.

Blurr felt his spark jump at her words and he was surprised that her actions hadn't caused him to go into stasis lock. He tried to calm himself, suddenly feeling upset when she moved away and took a step back.

"Stay still." He commanded quietly, lowering her so she was close to his spark. His optics followed her movements as she moved closer, trying not to laugh when she set her ear against his spark covering.

"Is that your heart?" She asked, setting her hands against his body. She pressed herself gently against the cover and felt the warmth envelop her body; who needed a jacket when this warmed her up even better than one?

Blurr stared at her for a moment, "In a way, yes. Each Cybertronian possesses a spark, which could be compared to your human heart. It is what keeps us online; once a spark fades it goes into the Matrix of Leadership, which is in Optimus' possession." He paused, talking quietly this time, "A spark achieves maximum potential when it senses its spark mate nearby, and it always tells the owner in its own special way."

Saber nodded, not realizing he was talking about her. The warmth and the soft hum of his spark were like a lullaby. "I see. So, what do you do when you realize your spark mate is right there?"

"Well, that depends on the 'bot. Some choose to tell them, others wait, others try to avoid them."

"But why would you avoid them? I mean, if your soul mate is right then and there wouldn't you want to take the risk? You guys live for such a long time; I can't imagine the pain of being lonely for so long."

Blurr stared at her again, "Yes, but some are afraid of how the spark mate will react. There is only one mate for each 'bot out there, and usually the chances of finding them are slim. So, if a 'bot tells his spark mate and they shun them, imagine how it feels."

"Terrible." Saber replied quietly, pulling back and looking up at him. "Honestly, if someone told me I was his spark mate I'd be flattered. I mean, how many people are actually going to go up and tell you that they believe you're their soul mate? Sounds like a dream come true to me." She smiled, holding on to his finger as he lowered her to the ground. She stepped out of his hand after a moment, and set her hands on her hips before looking up at him.

"Will you turn around for a moment? I want to show you something."

* * *

Starscream stared down at the small human femme in front of him. Centuries of being alone and abused by Megatron had made him refuse all emotion from his spark, and sometimes he even had to check that he was still in possession of one. But this time he didn't need to be reminded.

The small femme was looking up at him with admiration in her large green eyes, and he wanted to despise it; however, his spark had other plans – plans that included this human female making him happy. He couldn't even be mad when she spoke to him about forgiving Megatron for what he'd done; he didn't even know how or why he had told her! But nonetheless, he managed to pull off a cool front and wave her away, much to his spark's disappointment as well as hers.

"I don't need your pity, human. I don't need _anyone's_ pity!" He stated, turning his head away from her.

"It isn't pity, it's forgiveness, Starscream! Why don't you understand?" Alexis stated; she was a patient girl but this mech sure was getting on her nerves. Decepticons and their pride…

The red and white seeker turned back to look at her. He watched as she took a few steps back, and he slammed his hands down against the ground, one on each side of her. He lowered his face to be in front of hers, red optics burning with what seemed to be rage.

"What I don't _understand_ is why you are still out here, grinding my gears!" He stated, his voice low and throaty.

Alexis could hear her heartbeat in her head, but she took in a deep breath and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was going to convince him if it was the last thing she did; Alexis Anderson was no quitter!

"You are so stubborn!" She replied, throwing her hands in the air. After a moment, she calmed down and set her hands at her sides, looking into his optics. "Starscream, I just want you to realize what you've got here. Optimus is a great leader, and you've shown so much potential. I've seen it!" She sighed, "You've got the choice, Starscream…stay with us." She moved her hands to motion to her chest, pointing at herself, "I trust you, Starscream. I know you can do so much better than being a Decepticon."

Starscream stared at her in shock, taking in her words. _She_ trusted _him_? How foolish! Didn't she know that he was a well-known traitor and backstabber? He had _betrayed_ Megatron to come here, wasn't that proof enough?

But even still…

"Look, Alexis…" He watched as her face lit up when he used her name, "…I appreciate it, but you really shouldn't trust me. You shouldn't trust any Decepticon." He added, optics widening when he felt her soft human hands touch his face.

"But I do, Starscream. And you'll just have to live with it." She added quietly, letting out a quiet gasp when he moved back all of a sudden.

He straightened up, trying to regain his composure at her sudden touch. He could feel his spark burning inside its cover and he was trying hard not to show her that she was his one and only weakness.

After a moment, he gave in to one of his spark's requests and held his hand out to her, watching as she climbed into it. _"She must really trust me to do all this."_ He thought, curling his fingers so she would have something to hold on to, _"…Feels nice."_

* * *

"What's taking you so long?!" Saber asked impatiently, unaware of the fact that Blurr was in his vehicle mode behind her.

"Just hold on…"

"Well, you better hurry." She mumbled, keeping her eyes closed and crossing her arms. She shifted her weight to one side, puffing her bottom lip out into a pout and tapping her foot impatiently.

She jumped when she felt someone touch her shoulder; she turned around instantly, only to find herself face-to-face with a man.

"What the?"

The man seemed to be in his mid to late twenties, with shaggy brown hair and caramel complexion. He had small stubble on his chin for a beard, and his eyes were crimson in color, almost seeming brown.

Saber's lips parted in surprise and her eyes moved from his face to look down at his body; the man was built in a way that he wasn't _too_ built – he had fair muscles, and Saber knew that beneath that white shirt was a six pack. He was only slightly taller than her, and when Saber got a closer look at the insignia on his shirt she let out a shriek.

"BLURR?!"

"The one and only." Came the man's smooth response, his voice deep and manly.

Saber could feel a blush creeping onto her face and she let out a whimper, taking a step back.

"Does my holoform scare you, Saber? If you'd prefer I can go back to—" He was interrupted when she shook her head, waving her hand at him before turning around. He stared at her back in confusion.

Saber put her hands on her cheeks; sure enough, they were burning. "Oh my god…" She whispered quietly, shutting her eyes tightly, "He's so hot…" her voice was in a higher pitch as she said this and she finally threw her hands up into the air, taking a deep breath and turning around again.

"Sorry about that." She smiled, clearing her throat before rubbing her neck, "So…what's all this for?" She asked, motioning toward his holoform.

"It's the surprise." He stated simply, approaching her cautiously. When she didn't move back he smiled, watching as she moved closer as well.

She looked at him curiously, "Can I…can I touch you?"

"I activated the matter generator so you'd be able to. I won't be able to remain in this form for too long, however – Red Alert said they were for emergencies only, but I figured I'd test it out." He paused, "The hologram isn't a problem, but the matter generator drains out energy quickly."

Saber gave him a smile, reaching her hand out and touching his face. She circled him completely before standing in front of him again, grinning. "Wow, it looks very real." She commented, grabbing his arm and poking at it. She looked back up at his face and moved to rest a nervous hand on his cheek.

"So your eye color remains the same, huh?"

"Indeed. Optimus' eyes in his holoform will be golden; Hot Shot's will be blue, and so on."

Saber nodded to show she understood. She set both hands on his cheeks and smiled. "You're kinda cold."

"Our holoforms are not advanced enough to generate heat like humans naturally do."

"I see." She stated, her hands subconsciously moving from his cheeks and tracing down his neck. They finally settled on his chest, and she could feel her heart pounding as she stared into the holoform's eyes, while his arms moved to set on her hips. The two seemed to agree and move closer slowly, Saber's eyelids lowering slightly.

"Blurr, I…" Her words trailed off when her lips were an inch away from his; she pressed gently against his chest but, all of sudden, the holoform disappeared and she stumbled forward, blinking twice.

Blurr transformed and stood up, shaking his head. His spark was burning in his armor but he held out his hand nonetheless, watching as Saber climbed up into it.

"Lemme guess…ran out of energy?"

Blurr looked at her apologetically; Red Alert was going to give him an upgrade for the matter generator tomorrow so he could remain in that state longer, but he hadn't wanted to wait to show her. He regretted it slightly, but at least Saber hadn't rejected him.

Saber smiled up at him, waving her hand. "No, it's okay…I don't think you like me that way anyway." She let out a nervous laugh, moving to sit on his palm and crossing her legs. She turned and glanced to where she had seen Starscream last; since he wasn't there anymore she figured he had brought his sister inside. _"Well, at least he'll bring her home in time."_ She thought, smiling at her musings and giggling quietly.

Blurr glanced at her before opening a private radio link with his leader.

"**Optimus, this is Blurr."**

There was a brief moment before the leader replied, **"This is Optimus."**

Blurr smiled beneath his faceplate, **"Thank you for the advice."**

* * *

**Author's Note**: Yay, Chapter five is done! The beginning was a little dull, but I got a few more ideas as I continued to write, so that's why this ended up being a longer chapter.

Teaser for next chapter: More StarscreamxAlexis, of course more Blurr, and maybe a betrayal…

Until then, everyone! Thanks for reading!


	6. Threat

**Author's Note**: Yay for reviews! Thank you to all my review-ee's:

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I won't reveal the secret, but all will make sense soon, I promise! Don't hate me!

**blood shifter**: Mwahaha! I am very mean to Saber sometimes, aren't I? I think everyone likes a little SSxAlexis, of which there'll be plenty of in this story!

**Nola1**: Here's your update!

**Mistress Megatron**: OMG COOKIES!! Aww, thank you! That makes me feel proud and flattered at the same time…hehe! Yeah, I try to keep them as much in character as I can, though sometimes it can be difficult. I mean, what girl doesn't want to write that a hot-tastic mech sweeps them off their feet and takes them to heaven? But we all know that's not how it really works, so I do my best to make it realistic.

Thank you again, I really try my best to give my readers a pleasurable experience when they read. After all, who wants to get a headache from trying to figure out what an author really means in their words?

Yeah, I included the whole Optimus thing simply for my own amusement, but I'm glad someone else liked it too! I thought it was pretty funny. XD

**beesting08**: I'm cruel like that! Although I can promise you that they will get their first real kiss, and soon! Thank you!

**DarkMizar**: Oh my goodness, that's amazing! Let me know how you do in your competition, okay? It sounds really cool! I'm glad my story can be the sugar in your diet, I just hope I'm not feeding you too much of it, haha! Yup, you'll be seeing a little bit more Starscream from now on, to satisfy your appetite!

**Azura Soul Reaver**: Thank you, thank you! I hope I can keep you interested!

**randomlass**: Aww, I feel so special! But I understand what you mean, groceries are pretty important…mmm, yummy! I can only hope that I'm keeping the Transformers Armada storyline in check for myself, although there isn't _too_ much of the battles from it; although I'll be adding a chunk from the story later, but that'll be in a few more chapters. Not to mention I switch a few things from what actually happened. Thank you for reviewing!

**DeathScythe119**: I tried to make him pretty cute, although I know everyone's taste differs. XD I'm glad you liked him, though! As for Sideways…he's going to get his soon, I can promise you that. ;)

P.S.: Once again, no ownage of Transformers for me!

* * *

Alexis' emerald eyes were wide and filled with horror. She watched Starscream, the mech she had grown to like and trust, rise further and further into the air until he was out of her vision. Her breath caught in her throat and she stepped forward, causing the two males around her to let out panicked cries.

Her eyes searched the clouds for his form, or any trace of him whatsoever. She felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach and her lips parted, sound escaping in the form of words – a feeble attempt at gaining the stronger mech's attention.

"Starscream…Starscream, where are you?" She called out, her voice hoarse. She could smell something burning to her right but she didn't particularly care; she had other things, or rather, a certain _someone_ to worry about.

In the weeks that Starscream had spent with the Autobots, more than half had been with Alexis' company. Optimus, seeing how well the two got along, responded by giving Starscream the responsibility of keeping Alexis safe as his charge. Although the white-and-red Seeker had visibly shunned the idea, the Autobot leader wasn't giving in and the former Decepticon had no choice but to comply.

Starscream had to admit that he cared for Alexis. Oh yes, he cared _a lot_. She was the only person to show trust and believe in him, but even as he stood in the sky, in front of the ever-annoying Thrust, he couldn't help but dream of power. Power that was being offered to him, if he simply gave up the Star Saber and the Sky-Boom Shield.

As he fought between doing the right thing and what he believed he wanted, he felt his spark grow colder in its casing and he took it as a sign that he should return to who he used to be. Starscream wasn't an Autobot; Starscream was a name affiliated not only with _Decepticon_, but traitor, fear, and pain as well. In the weeks that Alexis had served as his company he had become very protective of her, but what was he doing now? She would never forgive him, and he wouldn't blame her one bit.

His optics settled angrily on Thrust, before her let out a grunt and flew down to where the Sky-Boom Shield was being launched in the air. He couldn't bear to see the look on Alexis' face as he took the shield, Optimus' only hope for defense, and rose back into the sky before disappearing from it completely.

Alexis, shocked by his actions, simply stared at the spot where he had grasped the Sky-Boom Shield and froze, eyes widening. It didn't take long for her tear ducts to react to the heart-wrenching scream she let out from her mouth, which came deep from within her heart and pure soul. She felt someone's hands grab her arms but she shook them away, moving into the middle of the battlefield and staring up at the sky, even as the Decepticons began to retreat.

"Why, Starscream? Why?" She cried out, body trembling uncontrollably as she fell to her knees, hands digging deep into the sand. She leaned her weight back and sat on the ground, legs tucked beneath her as she moved her forehead to touch the sand, tears staining their light brown color. She sobbed, eyelids shut tight to keep any light from touching them. That was how she felt right now – in the dark, alone, and miserable. The bond she had created with Starscream couldn't be replaced, and the fact he had just left her without a second thought only caused her to wail and sob even more.

She didn't even feel her sister's hands as they wrapped around her body and picked her up, one hand tucked beneath her knees and the other supporting her back.

Saber pulled her close to her chest, lowering herself to sit on the ground and set her chin gently on the top of her sister's head, rocking gently back and forth. She hummed a quiet lullaby that her mother had always sung to them when they were little, and she could feel her sister slowly relax in her comforting arms. She began to rub her sister's back, feeling as the latter shook and trembled slightly before calming down.

"I'm so sorry, darling…" The older Anderson whispered, shutting her eyes and setting her forehead where her chin had been resting earlier. She could recognize the signs that Alexis was giving, meaning she was going to fall asleep soon.

"Me too…" Came the quiet response, words lingering in the air as the younger girl drifted off into a light sleep.

Saber looked up at Blurr, who simply nodded and scooped her into his hand. Sand fell between his fingertips and he turned to Optimus, who was staring at the sleeping teenager with concern.

"She'll be alright. Just give her time."

* * *

More weeks passed, and with time came the revelation of many things. Alexis still sulked every once in a while about Starscream, but tried her best not to do so in front of her sister, whose relationship with Blurr seemed to be growing. She stood outside where she had spoken to the Seeker a while back, even though the memory was still fresh on her mind.

She turned to hear a strong engine roaring and realized it was Blurr, with a blindfolded Saber in his passenger seat. The latter looked anxious; she was fidgeting in the seat and seemed to be asking said 'bot many questions. The girl remained quiet; she figured that Blurr had spotted her there but she decided not to make any noise, just in case. She didn't want to ruin whatever moment the two had planned, but rather simply stayed back and stared up at the sky that she had once loved. Her bitterness and remorse for Starscream had her glaring up at the beautiful sight; Starscream had once told her that he ruled the sky and, because of it, she now found herself loathing it. She knew it was ridiculous and childish, but her heart wouldn't stop reminding her of his betrayal every time the reason for his name came up and illuminated the night sky.

"Why did you do this to me, Starscream?"

* * *

"Will you stop grabbing my interior like that? You're going to rip it, I swear to Primus." An aggravated Blurr spoke, his voice filling the cabin as he speeded to get to his destination.

A confused Saber relaxed and moved her hands to rest on her lap, still fidgeting. "If you don't tell me where we're going I'm going to do more than just rip your interior, you vain-ass 'bot." She replied curtly, moving to fidget with the seatbelt that had her secured in her place. She let out a small gasp when she heard the vehicle's tires skid to a halt, and felt her curiosity grow when the passenger door opened and the seatbelt unbuckled itself.

"Oh, we're here?" She asked joyously, feeling the ground first before stepping out of the car and hearing Blurr's quick transformation. She looked up where she assumed him to be, holding her hands out as if she was blind. "Where are you?"

"Take the blindfold off."

Saber did so without a moment's hesitation; she blinked a few times to clear her vision and noticed Blurr staring off in a different direction. She followed his gaze and she gasped, her lips parting in surprise as her eyes widened to take in the view. There, under the moonlight was the ocean in all its glory, surface shining proudly and reflecting the stars above. Saber took a few steps forward and noticed the sand, quickly removing her shoes and socks before setting them aside. She rushed towards the shoreline, rolling her jeans up half-heartedly before kneeling in the sand and picking up a stray starfish, tossing him back out to sea.

"Oh my goodness…" She whispered, feeling the warm sand beneath her fingertips. She turned back to see a sitting Blurr, back resting against a tall tree and watching her. She stood up, wiping sand off her hands and knees before walking back over to him, hazel eyes smiling with her lips.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly, eyes beginning to brim themselves with tears.

Blurr, noticing her tear ducts reacting, suddenly brought his face closer to hers and examined her closely. "Your tear ducts are acting up; did I upset you?" He asked sincerely, voice full of concern as he looked at her.

Saber shook her head, letting out a soft laugh and wiping a tear away. "No, it's just…this is so beautiful, nobody has ever done something like this for me. It's really sweet, Blurr…I appreciate it." She added warmly, sniffling and smiling up at him.

"Humans are very confusing." He added simply, causing her to laugh again.

"And so are mechs." She added, watching as he reached out towards her. Instead of scooping her up, however, he ran a fingertip gently down her back affectionately. When he moved it away, she reached for it and rested her cheek against it warmly, shutting her eyes. "Thank you again, Blurr…for everything."

Blurr watched her, his spark growing warmer in its casing. "Even the heartache?" He replied teasingly, smiling beneath his faceplate.

At this Saber laughed again, nodding once and opening her eyes to look at him. "Even the heartache."

Blurr paused a moment; he slowly moved his fingertip away and used it to turn her around, before giving her a small push towards the water. "Go on, I've got another surprise for you. Move onto the sand and close your eyes."

Saber drew her bottom lip between her teeth nervously, nibbling on it as she walked back towards the beach. She resisted taking a peek and closed her eyes instead, fingertips tapping against her side as she waited.

She didn't have to wait long before she felt someone touch her, and she figured it was Blurr again. She smiled, keeping her eyes closed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She moved her arms to wrap around his neck, admiring the fact that she felt so secure in his grasp. She didn't expect his next move, however; his holoform leant forward and drew her lips in for a gentle kiss. Saber resisted the urge to gasp and simply reached her fingertips into his rich hair, feeling the texture against her skin.

"_**God**__, he feels so real…"_ She thought, parting her lips slightly; she smiled when she felt gravity leave her briefly as the two fell onto the soft sand below, Blurr's holoform settled closely on top of hers not only out of affection, but protection.

Her eyelids fluttered open when they parted the kiss and she stared deep into his crimson eyes, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek. She held him tightly when he moved his face to settle between her left shoulder and neck, his breath tickling her skin as she stared up into the starry sky.

"Saber Anderson…"

The girl looked over at her name; she could feel his breath move from her neck to her ear. She was about to respond but halted when he held her even closer, so close that she could feel his heartbeat pounding against her chest.

"…you are my spark mate."

Her eyes widened at the words, she blinked twice, not realizing that Blurr's holoform had moved his head so he could look at her. He searched her eyes for approval, which she gave when she leant forward and caught his lips in another kiss. When they parted she looked at him, her eyes full of admiration and care.

"_I'm_ your soul mate, the one and only?" She asked, still trying to convince herself that she had heard him right. When his response was a simple smile, she let out a happy laugh and threw her arms around him again, hugging him close. She moved her hands to rest on each side of his face and kissed it all over; when she stopped and looked at him he could see confusion and bewilderment in his face.

"Well tonight's your lucky night, because I love you too!" She yelled the last part, which only added to the mech's confusion. She dug her face into his neck and felt him relax again, "You don't know how happy this makes me…" She pulled back, moving her hands to rest on his chest and curling her fingers to grasp his shirt.

The two leaned in for another kiss, which was cut short by the sudden flicker of the holoform before it disappeared completely. Saber turned her head to see Blurr's optics come to life, and she sat up slowly, smiling at him.

"You need to tell Red Alert to fix the timing on that thing."

* * *

Alexis heard the click of the small human door that led to her and her sister's bedroom inside the base. Her eyes opened slightly and she watched her sister's slender form make its way about. She held back a laugh when said sister stubbed her toe on the end of a table and held back from yelling out curses, which would've most likely woken up half the base's inhabitants.

"God, I hate karma…" Saber muttered quietly, "Something good happens and as soon as you get home you stub your toe." The girl ranted, changing into her pajamas. It wasn't until her pants were halfway up her legs that she noticed a pair of emerald hues staring at her, which caused her to blush. She scampered to fix her pants before walking over to her sister's bed and sitting down on the edge, smiling down at her.

"How ya feeling, sweetie?" She asked, setting her hand on her sister's cheek and rubbing her thumb affectionately over her forehead. She moved a strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear, frowning at the fact that her sister wasn't asleep.

"I'm okay." The latter replied honestly; sure she didn't feel great but she didn't feel terrible, either. She had been progressing in getting over Starscream's betrayal and had even begun to slowly forgive the traitorous mech; after all, he _had_ warned her about his reputation and she didn't even see why he would give up his dreams for her – a small, fragile human girl, with big dreams and an even bigger heart. She had nothing he desired – she was pure, and he wasn't, simple as that.

She told herself she was foolish for trusting him but her heart didn't believe it; secretly she felt she actually _loved_ the mech but there was no way she was going to admit that to anyone, not even her sister.

"Go to sleep, okay sister?" Saber replied, moving to stand up before she felt a fragile hand grab her wrist. She turned to look at the latter, blinking twice. "What is it?"

"The Autobots are returning to Cybertron."

Saber's eyes widened, she felt Alexis release her grip on her wrist and she brought a hand up to her lips. "When?"

"In a few days." The small girl replied, watching her sister's expression.

"Do all the Autobots know about this?"

"Yes."

"Why wouldn't Blurr tell me?..."

"…maybe he's scared of how you're going to react. I know how he feels about you, sis, I can feel it…he doesn't want to lose you."

Saber looked down at her sister, surprised at her words. She hadn't found out Blurr's true feelings towards her until about an hour or two ago, and Alexis knew all along? Her sister really was something else.

"You want to go, don't you?"

The girl nodded in response, smiling when she received a large grin from her sister.

"Well, looks like I'm gonna be taking one _long_ vacation."

* * *

Optimus hadn't agreed to it at first, but he couldn't help but believe that the humans would aid their Autobot counterparts in some way or another. Even when he took a straight hit from the Hydra Cannon's raw power, his spark felt it. Even as the mini-cons bonded together to bring him back _to life_, per se, and join his Autobot team once more, he _knew_ it. The way that his field commander's optics would look at Saber Anderson's person, admiring each and every part of her personality and being convinced him that his spark was right.

But the Matrix of Leadership knew more. It informed him of what was coming; of the threat that they would all soon face.

As he stood at the command of the _Axalon_, his thought process was interrupted by a large gasp coming from Blurr's charge. He turned his optics to look at her before following her gaze and glancing out one of the window panes of the ship, optics widening when he realized what she was looking at.

There, in the shadow of its former glory, stood Cybertron, home of the two warring factions. Optimus Prime could feel his soldier's spirits lift high into the air simply by looking at it, and he had to admit that he was also relieved to see it.

"Is that…Cyberton?" Saber asked, her eyes widening as she turned to look at Blurr, who was managing the navigation. The proud 'bot simply nodded in response and glanced up at his home, optics burning with passion. He had missed his home, truly had, but he knew that his homesickness had been replaced by the small female to his left.

"_Slag, Primus would have my aft for replacing Cybertron in my spark."_ He thought, turning back to his controls.

Saber admired the large metal planet; she was so intrigued that she hadn't noticed a looming shadow closing in on her left. When she caught it out of the corner of her eye, her eyes widened and she took a step back, pointing at what disturbed her.

"What…_is_ that?" She asked, her voice nervous as she turned back to glance at Optimus. The leader turned to see what she was speaking of and his optics widened as well, hands curling up into fists.

"_Unicron…_"

* * *

**Author's Note**: There you have it, chapter six! How'd everybody like the BlurrxSaber moment? I'm sorry for all you Starscream fans out there, but the purpose of his betrayal will reveal itself soon!

I'll have to admit, it was more of a filler-chapter between the betrayal and Unicron, but what can a girl do? It was a pretty short chapter, too, and for that I apologize. I promise you all a big, fat update in the name of Chapter Seven next time!

Teasers for next chapter: A death, a phoenix, and a _very_ unlikely circumstance.

Until then, everyone! And if I don't update within my usual time frame (AKA each night), it's most likely because I'm writing my big update with hopefully some Sideways aft-whoopin'. Love and love!


	7. Lost

**Author's Note**: So I got my driver's license yesterday, even though I'm 18. xD I've been pretty lazy despite that I've been working my aft off, sigh.

Anyway, on to the reviews!

**Nola1**: Thank you! And I can assure you that Alexis and Starscream will have their happy ending.

**Mistress Megatron**: xD I know you'll hate me at first, but you know what happens when a phoenix dies, right? Well that'll happen in this next chapter, I promise!

I absolutely adored writing that BlurrxSaber moment. It was cute! And you really stayed up for it? Oh my…I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter!

Thank you for all the compliments. Let's bask in and share the cookies, shall we? Mmm, cookies!

**DarkMizar**: If I don't have to work, I tend to get on and read 'fictions too. They're so fun to read! I'm not going to steer away much from the Armada storyline in this chapter, but next chapter will have a lovely surprise! Here's your update!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: Yeah, I felt bad for Alexis myself, and I was writing it! There'll be plenty of BlurrxSaber coming up in my updates, I promise! Sideways' aft will be whooped, and _good_, I assure you.

**Azura Soul Reaver**: I know, right? Finally! Too bad the matter generator ran out of juice, haha!

**blood shifter**: Yup, Saber wouldn't be a happy camper, I'll tell you that! I'm sure she'd chase Red Alert down and give him a good aft-whippin'. My response to your Starscream question is the same one I gave Mistress Megatron: a phoenix will arise!

**randomlass**: I have to agree – Alexis' heart was certainly broken. I'm glad you like it, though! And thanks!

Off to Chapter Seven!

P.S.: Transformers are greater than me, who doesn't own them!

* * *

Saber stared at the planet-sized monster, feeling as fear crawled up from her stomach and latched itself onto her throat, causing her to take in a sharp breath. She stepped away from the window of the _Axalon_ and turned slowly to face Blurr, who seemed to be having slight difficulty controlling the large ship. Something was bothering him, and she wasn't going to lie – something was scaring her, too, and _bad_.

She peeled her gaze away from her beloved mech to look at her sister, who was clutching the small rock around her neck with a grave look on her pale face. She followed her younger sibling's line of vision to another window, where the Decepticon ship floated high and mighty. Saber shifted uncomfortably and let out a quiet sigh, stepping away from her sister and glancing towards Optimus, who was ordering a few of his men to land on Cybertron and make the remaining Autobots retreat.

"Dear god…" She whispered, glancing uneasily back to the planet-sized menace, "What's going to happen to us?"

* * *

A small amount of time passed and Saber found herself accompanying the teenagers deep into the depths of Unicron. Small goose bumps appeared on her skin and she shivered, hoping she had imagined someone's hand running down her spine. Something was strange about this place, _too strange_, she had to admit, and she couldn't help feeling like something bad was going to happen to her here.

She heard the familiar sounds of a mech approaching and paused, halting her steps and turning around. The teenagers didn't notice her moving away and continued on, chattering about the fact that they were all here, and fighting alongside the Autobots.

Saber paused when she stood in front of what seemed to be a lifeless mech who had gotten sucked into Unicron's being, but upon closer inspection, her eyes widened and she managed to let out a small gasp. It wasn't just a mech, it was Blurr.

"Blurr?!" She cried out, reaching her hands out to touch the moss-like cover that had accumulated on said mech's form. "It can't be…I saw you just before I left to come here. You're alive…" Her voice trailed off, uncertainly evident in her words as she stared at him. She hadn't realized that something deadly was making its way towards her, and fast.

She shut her eyes, setting her cheek against his spark chamber. His form was lowered, with his legs hidden deep inside Unicron's being. Her eyes snapped open when she felt something grab her legs, then her arms and waist. She let out a startled cry, feeling the iron grip tighten around her. She looked down to see metal tentacles holding her, which suddenly slammed her into the wall, next to Blurr's form. She heard the heavy footsteps again, and looked up in pain, hoping it was someone that could help.

She uttered a low curse when she spotted violet optics peering from the darkness, turning away from the approaching transformer, who simply chuckled at her expense.

"Stuck, are we…fleshling?" His low voice taunted, his chuckles growing into laughter. He stopped and doubled over when he felt a sharp pain inside his spark chamber, and growled lowly before turning to Saber. "Are you enjoying seeing your beloved Autoscum guardian deep in the clutches of Unicron?" He brought his face closer, smirking beneath his face guard and setting his hands on each side of her. He was _very_ tempted to break one of her little fleshbag arms in half, but resisted, knowing the pain that he would have to endure for torturing this worthless human.

"Once Unicron is done with you I'll take pleasure in tearing your disgusting little organic body apart."

"You're pathetic, Sideways. And what does Unicron want with me, anyway? If I'm such a worthless organic, then what use am I to this _supreme_ being?" She said the latter in a mocking tone, glaring straight back into his harsh violet optics.

Sideways snarled, plucking the female out of the tentacle's grip and bringing her close to his face. He heard her yelp in pain and smirked, the large horns protruding from his head making him look like the devil himself.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about Unicron in that manner, you worthless piece of scum! You're not even worth the time it takes to crush you under my foot and then scrape you off!" He squeezed once, watching her eyelids shut tightly before releasing her body and hearing the soft 'thump' on the ground, followed by a quiet groan.

Once Saber's body touched the ground her head collided against the hard metal, causing it to bleed profusely. It wasn't a deep wound but usually all head injuries bled quite a bit, from what she'd heard. She let out a soft groan and attempted to sit up, feeling the sharp pain in her back she'd gained from landing harshly. When she couldn't bring herself to sit she merely rolled over, feeling the metal tentacles wrap around her body once more before slithering her into the darkness; the loss of blood caused her to black out and with one last remaining whisper of Blurr's name, she fell deep into the abyss that was Unicron's maw.

* * *

"Saber! SABER!" A young woman's voice called out frantically, leading to Alexis. The girl had noticed her sister was gone not long after they had walked in on what seemed to be a flashback, back to when the Mini-Cons had been created and their Autobot friends had all been a part of Unicron. Now she could feel something terribly, terribly wrong.

After the flashback ended, Alexis ran back to where her sister had last been, but only noticed a few traces of fresh blood on the ground. She heard a few footsteps approaching and looked up, her eyes widening when she noticed a very smug-looking Sideways staring down at her.

"Unicron may want your sister but he didn't say anything about not hurting you." He smirked, swiftly picking her up and squeezing her, drawing a scream of pain from the small female. He let out a loud laugh, but gasped in pain when another mech slammed into his side, causing him to drop the girl and roll twice before stopping, landing in a crouched position and glaring at his opponent.

"Starscream…I never knew you had a soft spot for fleshlings."

Starscream ignored his comment, holding a frightened Alexis in his hand. He held her close to his spark chamber, glaring at the treacherous mech standing in front of him.

"I didn't remember you being this ugly, but we all learn in time, don't we?" Came the curt response; Starscream lowered his hand to the ground and allowed Alexis to step off. He could feel the young girl's gaze on him but he figured she'd understand if he decided to keep the questions for later – right now he had to focus on getting rid of Sideways, and _fast._

He unlatched one of his wings, which promptly turned into a glowing red sword and he lashed at the mech, attempting to slice him in half. He growled when Sideways ducked and rolled to the side; he turned in an attempt to charge at him again but instead narrowed his optics, watching as said mech began to step back into the darkness.

"It was nice to see you again, Starscream. I'll be sure to tear that fleshling apart in front of your optics once Unicron is done consuming Cybertron and all of its energon."

Starscream made one last attempt to slice the traitor to bits but he was gone; he growled and returned his sword, which in turn folded back into his wing and he turned to look at Alexis.

"Alexis…" He spoke quietly, reaching his hand out towards her. The small girl climbed into it and he put her close to his spark chamber again, moving to where the other teenagers had been searching for her. He glanced down at her briefly, noticing the small rock dangling from her neck, which had previously belonged to the Mars rock he had brought them. He smiled slightly, feeling his spark getting warmer at the sight.

* * *

"Optimus! They've captured Saber!" Alexis' frantic voice spoke, causing the leader to turn sharply and look at her.

"…how?"

"I don't know. They just…took her. She disappeared." Alexis's eyes were brimmed with tears; her voice cracked and she found herself leaning on the wall for support. Seeing Starscream again had made her heart beat faster than ever, but she couldn't focus on that now – as much as she wanted to -, her sister was gone and she had to find her, someway or somehow.

Blurr, ever since hearing Alexis' words, tensed up and felt his spark grow cold with fear. He stood up suddenly, walking up to the tall leader and gazing boldly into his bright golden optics.

"I want to go with you."

"Blurr, I can't risk one of my few remaining soldiers…you're too valuable to the Autobots, I—"

"Optimus…" His voice sounded strained, as if he was holding something back. He spoke in a lower tone; he was a pretty reserved 'bot so that meant that the others didn't really know that Saber was his spark mate – all they knew was that she was his charge.

"She's my _spark mate_…" He added finally, fingers curled up into fists. He was having a bit of trouble keeping his hot temper in check; he needed to go find Saber, and _now_.

Optimus looked into his proud soldier's eyes and froze, turning away after a moment. His vents let out air, mimicking a sigh, before he turned back to lock optics with his field commander.

"I'm sorry, Blurr, but I can't allow you to go."

* * *

"Galvatron!" Starscream's voice called out, obviously flustered. He walked up to his annoyed-looking leader, interrupting his conversation with Optimus Prime.

"Both Sideways and Thrust betrayed us; the threat of Unicron looms in the sky! What more proof do you need?" He growled, "We need to join with the Autobots to defeat Unicron, it's the only way! Why can't you understand?"

The proud leader glared at his second-in-command, "You may be king of the skies, Starscream, but you do _not_ command me. Now I suggest you fall back in line like a good 'bot and do as you're told, you pathetic excuse for a Decepticon."

Starscream snarled, unlatching one of his wings and watching it as it became a glowing red sword. "I'll fight you, Megatron! I'll prove to you that joining with the Autobots is what you have to do!"

The leader stood, holding out the Star Saber to the Seeker's neck. The latter used his own sword to brush it away, and the two began to struggle against one another, fighting for control. Galvatron flicked his wrist, causing Optimus Prime, who was watching from a small distance, to gasp.

Starscream stepped back, optics wide and staring at his chest, where his spark chamber was located. His gaze slowly lifted to look at Galvatron, who also looked surprise at what he had done. The proud seeker let out a soft chuckle, "I-I can only hope…that this will convince you, Galvatron. There is no chance for survival without joining the other faction, as Optimus Prime has realized." He coughed, a small amount of energon leaking from the side of his mouth, "While I was with them, I saw how he treated his men. He is a fair leader, and he doesn't abuse them, like you often did with me, Galvatron. He is a _true_ leader." He stepped further back, the sword protruding from his chest like an angry omen, "I have failed you one last time, Galvatron."

His words drifted off and faded into the atmosphere, sucked deep into Unicron's hateful bowels. His optics moved briefly from Galvatron to Optimus Prime, showing respect. When they turned back to his leader, they flickered twice before the raging red dimmed into a dark, lonely black, and his body was picked up by a gust of wind as ashes, forever to drift in cyberspace.

Galvatron remained still, his eyes moving down to rest on the Star Saber, where Starscream had once stood.

"Even though he was a traitor he never lost sight of his oath to the Decepticons. Starscream was a true soldier."

He turned then to look at Optimus Prime, who was not only thinking of the loss they had just acquired, but of how a small human femme back at the base would take it. He didn't realize that something was forming out of the shadows at the corner of his optic – and he turned, but it was too late.

Sideways stood, his laughter echoing as he held the Star Saber high into the air. "Unicron will be pleased! Thank you, Starscream!" He added, flickering once before disappearing, just as Galvatron charged at him.

The Decepticon leader stood, a frown upon his robotic features. Sideways was going to pay dearly for this, _very_ dearly…

* * *

Alexis looked down at the rock and gem that was her necklace. Her eyes were wide in bewilderment, and when she realized why the gem had cracked – the connection was uncanny – she suddenly turned and left, tears forming at the edges of her eyes.

She fell to her knees in front of one of the ship's windows, feeling alone and pathetic. She couldn't understand why or how the red-and-white Decepticon had managed to keep a tight hold on her heart, but now that she was gone it was as if he had suddenly let go of her and dropped her into an abyss.

She felt Rad's arms wrap comfortingly around her and she turned, facing him. Although Rad couldn't understand how she felt as possibly well as her sister could, he was always there for her and she knew it. "Starscream…why?" Her bottom lip quivered uneasily and she stifled a sob, pausing to hear his words.

"Let it all out, Alexis…let it all out…" He must've been studying Saber's words – they sure as hell helped her out right then.

She complied without an afterthought; she buried her face into her taller friend's shoulder and began to sob uncontrollably, shoulders shaking. She knew she was getting his space suit wet with tears but something told her that Rad didn't care; after all best friends were always there for each other, through thick and thin, and there was no way a wet space suit was going to stop him – not today, not any day.

Alexis eventually calmed down, not realizing that Carlos had walked up as well and was giving her a warm and comforting smile. She stepped back a bit from Rad's arms and used the cuffs on her suit to wipe away the remaining tears, and blinking away the ones that threatened to spill.

"So now I've lost my sister and Starscream, too…" She sighed, looked back out the window, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Don't say that Alexis. Optimus will bring Saber back safe and sound…you just wait. Unicron won't stop her." He gave her a friendly wink before leading her back to the room of waiting 'bots, who all turned away so she wouldn't feel embarrassed.

* * *

Optimus stood next to Megatron as they descended into Unicron's maw. The two entered fearlessly, making their way past the clobbers of dead mechs and strange, tentacle-like appendages.

"We've got to destroy him together; it's the only way." Optimus spoke up, trying to ignore the arrogance seeping through every one of Galvatron's vents.

"We'll see, Prime." Came his strong response, watching as the passage they were walking through darkened. He walked slightly slower, optics narrowing once he spotted a dim light ahead.

"We're getting close." He muttered, moving slightly faster as if eager to see what Unicron's center looked like.

Once the two arrived, he examined the room around them, optics narrowed with suspicion. It wasn't until his optics settled on a small figure straight in front of them that he flinched back, almost as if he was appalled by the scene.

"Saber!" The Autobot leader cried anxiously, remembering Blurr's last words as he left. _'She's not dead, I know it Optimus. Bring her back to me, and I will be forever in your debt. If she dies…I die.'_

He stepped closer, scanning the girl's figure for signs of life and noticing her even heartbeat, along with the calm rising and falling of her chest. However, something was wrong – she wasn't wearing an oxygen mask, and instead of wearing her space suit she was wearing a firm-fitting white dress, the hem of which settled slightly above her knees and flowed even down to touch the ground. Instead of her hair being up it was flowing down, almost touching the ground, with neck relaxed so that her head was lying back.

As he tried to figure out how she was breathing he spotted the tentacle-like appendages wrapped around her wrists, holding her arms up and causing her chest to be slightly above the rest of her body. Three more of them were around her body – one on each of her legs and another one on her waist. The tentacles on her legs were actually wrapped around her knees – one leg was slightly higher than the other, giving the appearance that she was actually floating on her own. The dress reminded Optimus of what Alexis had shown him once – wedding gowns, flowing white and elegant, showing the innocence and purity of the bride.

"_Nothing about Unicron is innocent or pure."_ He thought angrily, taking another step and noticing the embroidery of the dress with his sharp optics. The dress was strapless, but instead of the jewels or diamonds he had seen in the pictures the cloth for this dress was actually embedded with the old Cybertronian hieroglyphs, the language of Primus and Unicron themselves. He paused a moment when he noticed a small glint on her neck; he scanned it closer and his optics widened when he realized that it was a necklace – not a simple necklace but a necklace that had AllSpark shards wedged deep inside the green gem.

His attention snapped back to the other Cybertronian with him when said mech stepped forward, reaching out towards the fragile human girl.

"She shouldn't be here. Isn't she your field commander's charge?" He scoffed, "_Some guardian._" He added reproachfully, flinching when his scanners picked up Saber's vital signs.

"The human femme is coming online."

As if on cue Saber's eyelids fluttered open, she took in a sharp breath as if she had forgotten how to breathe and soon after began to cough, chest rising and falling abruptly. She let out a quiet groan and brought her head up so she could see around her, noticing the 'vines' wrapped around her. "Oh _god_…what the _hell_ are those?" She questioned, disgust obvious in her voice; she turned her head to notice Galvatron surprisingly close and Optimus not far behind.

"Saber! Are you alright?" He asked, optics wide in surprise. How was she _breathing_?

"I…I think so…" She uttered, locks of hair falling in front of her face. She suddenly realized she wasn't wearing her helmet for oxygen, and soon after noticed that she wasn't wearing her space suit, either.

"Holy—! How am I alive? And what am I wearing?" She said the latter without much surprise; after realizing she was alive without her oxygen mask not much was going to surprise her.

"I don't know, Saber. If I remember correctly, humans need oxygen to survive in an environment –" He paused, ignoring the scoff coming from Galvatron, " – but I'm not entirely sure how you're breathing. This is outer space, and the scans I have made of Unicron don't indicate any oxygen being released inside his being." He shook his head, puzzled, before answering her second question, "As for what you are wearing…it is a dress fitted specifically for you, it seems. However, it isn't very _ordinary_…" He said the word with slight hesitation; after meeting the Autobots, anything that came across seemed less bizarre to Saber, but this had gone beyond it.

"It contains the old Cybertronian hieroglyphs of Primus and Unicron's time, before Cybertron was created."

Saber paused, thinking a moment, "Wow…" Her word elongated, eyes widening slightly, "That was a _really_ long time ago…"

"Yes. The hieroglyphs are embedded into the fabric of the dress you are wearing now." He responded calmly, before turning sharply to his left when he heard a stifled grunt.

"Galvatron!"

The leader was now tangled in the 'vines'; he struggled to cut them off but it was of no use – three more appeared for every one he got rid of.

"ENOUGH!" A deep voice spoke up all around them, causing Saber to shiver.

She could feel his anger through the appendages she was tied up in; she turned quickly to Optimus and spoke. "Optimus, get me down! I don't know how I got stuck here – or why – but I don't think it'd be wise—" A voice cut in abruptly, less menacing but instead, familiar.

"Quiet, fleshling!" Sideways appeared suddenly, standing between Optimus and Saber. He pushed the leader off, removing one of the horns on his head to use as a melee weapon. Said horn clicked and whirred until it became a mace, and the treacherous mech stepped forward, swinging it towards the Autobot leader.

"She belongs to Unicron now, Optimus." He paused, growling when the leader dodged a second and third attempt from his mace, "It's useless to try to save her. Give Blurr my apologies, but she won't be joining him for a happy reunion – she's stuck here, forever."

"Liar!" Saber yelled, struggling to release the grip of the tentacles. She looked over at Sideways, glaring, "Oh, what I would give to be a giant mech with an arsenal of weapons right now!"

Optimus suddenly positioned himself to attack, and he did so fiercely. He caught Sideways off-guard with the force, and caused the tall mech to stumble backwards, into a pile of trashed wires. Optimus took this chance to use one of his gun blasts to fire deep into Sideways' left side, where his spark was located. His optics widened when the mech stood up still, spark cover melted and revealing nothing inside.

Sideways began to chuckle, and he was about to use Optimus' shock to his advantage until a voice stopped him.

"You have served your purpose, Sideways." The voice spoke coldly, causing the mech's optics to widen.

"No, Unicron! Master!" He called out, letting out a loud shriek when he felt his insides being torn apart. His arms detached from his body and he fell to his knees, giving out clicks and whirrs of protest. He was visually ripped apart; his head there, his arms here, and his legs everywhere. His abdomen was last; it was ripped into smaller pieces before the pieces were crushed under an invisible force, and as the remains lay on the mechanical ground they began to melt, leaving no trace of Sideways' existence.

"Oh my—" Saber halted, feeling a surge of electricity run through her body and cause her infinite pain. She clenched her jaw before suddenly letting out a loud cry of pain, her body shaking under the energy until it finally went away and she fell limp, her breath staggering. Tears were at the edges of her eyes and she turned slightly, looking at Optimus, who was reaching towards her.

"No, Optimus…if you touch me I'll electrocute you." She said, causing the leader to stare at her in surprise.

He pulled back his hand reluctantly; he had to get Saber out of here and fast.

"The girl is mine, Optimus Prime…" The voice spoke again, threatening.

"Leave her be, Unicron! She is not a part of this war!"

"Oh, isn't she?" There was a deep rumble that echoed sullenly – Unicron's laughter.

"She doesn't deserve to be harmed in this!" The leader spoke angrily; he reached for Sideways' melee weapon, which he had dropped when Optimus attacked him, and swung it twice, using it to break the hold the metal tentacles had on Saber. He heard her gasp as she began to fall; he threw the weapon aside and dove to grab her, catching her swiftly in his palm. He rolled a few times before looking around, hearing a deep rumble; he wasted no time in freeing Galvatron of the tentacles keeping him in place, and heard the familiar sound that the Mini-Cons made when all of them bonded together.

"No….NOOO!" The voice spoke, the rumbling becoming louder and more evident.

"The Mini-Cons…they're destroying Unicron!" Galvatron spoke up suddenly, pointing towards a possible exit. "We need to get out of here!"

"Right!" Optimus added, holding Saber close to his spark. She was still alive, which meant that Unicron hadn't been the one keeping her alive – could it be the AllSpark shards around her neck?

He shoved the thought aside, worrying about more urgent matters. He allowed Galvatron to lead the way out, and it didn't take long before they all stood outside, on top of Unicron's surface. He used his comlink to call Jetfire over, and his second-in-command wasted no time in following orders.

Optimus set Saber gently on the hatch door that led to the controls of the space shuttle, "Be safe, soldiers."

Saber warmed at his words, and she took a few steps back, hair and necklace blowing in the wind. As the door began to close, she felt something sting her neck and was surprised to see the necklace exiting swiftly through the small opening left in the door. She stumbled back in surprise, falling on her bottom until the door shut completely.

"You alright there, Saber?" Jetfire asked, his warm and concerned voice casting all her worries away.

"Yeah…just fine." She replied quietly, not realizing that the necklace had drifted off towards Cybertron. Although it had detached itself from her neck, the chain had looped together again and seemed to move on its own towards the place where Starscream had fallen by Galvatron's hands; the gem glinted slightly when the chain floated to settle nicely around the handle of Starscream's sword, which was also one of his wings.

* * *

Blurr waited anxiously, arms crossed, by the door where Jetfire would arrive. He had always been a patient 'bot, up until he had met Saber Anderson. That femme would cut his patience short with a few simple words, but he knew that there wasn't a better mate for him, even in Cybertron. He remembered being alone, and every time he would get promoted in the Autobot ranks a flock of femmes would come and dazzle him with compliments, but he had never cared. He hadn't paid attention to them, and now he knew why.

He knew Saber was the right time as soon as he saw her – not only because his spark said so but by what he had seen in her eyes. She was determined, she had goals, she was independent – everything he was except in human female form. She understood when he needed to be alone and knew when he needed company, as well as vice-versa. He couldn't figure out how the AllSpark had matched them so perfectly together, but then again, the AllSpark was all-knowing, all-powerful – a symbol of godly status in Cybertron.

He felt his spark warm when he saw the small female step out of Jetfire's cockpit, but raised both of his optic ridges when he saw her attire. She _definitely_ hadn't been wearing that when she left, and he felt compelled to ask her why, but his spark answered with one word – Unicron.

At the thought of the menace he couldn't help but shudder slightly – what would he have done if Unicron had taken his one and only for good? He frowned behind his faceplate and shoved the thought away, turning his attention back to the human femme that was now walking up to him.

He didn't even hear Jetfire's transformation; he swept the girl up into his hand without waiting for her to climb in and brought her close to his spark, so she could rest her cheek against it. She did so without a word and let out a sigh, stepping back to look up at him. Blurr could feel her smiling with her eyes as he brought her up to his face. His red optics scanned her for any type of injury and his vents released air when he found none; no, Saber was in _perfect_ condition – at least, considering what she had just gone through. He heard a few clicks coming from his right and he turned to see Jetfire standing there, arms crossed and shaking his head.

"Stop _starin'_ at each other like that; it's like you're _sparkmates_ or something." The mech commented, pausing when he saw the look in Saber's eyes. He knew from experience that Blurr was a hard mech to read, especially being a Cybertronian, but Saber was much, much easier – humans tended to show emotions through their eyes, and he _knew_ he saw love.

His optics widened and he held up both of his large hands, taking a step back.

"_Whoa_. My bad." He used the human phrase with ease, turning suddenly and walking briskly into the control room, where the other Autobots were.

Blurr looked briefly at Saber, who turned her eyes back to him. He shook his head slightly, "He could tell in your eyes."

At his words Saber's cheeks turned red with embarrassment; she knew that Blurr wanted to keep this a secret to minimize teasing from the terrible duo of Hot Shot and Sideswipe, and she had easily agreed. She didn't want to see the field commander blasting aft when the two mechs, who would probably be using advice from Carlos, wrote her and Blurr's name inside a heart everywhere in the room.

"Well…it's about time they knew anyway, right?" Saber smiled painfully, trying to make the best of the situation. When the mech brought her closer to his face, narrowing his optics at her, she responded by wrapping her arms around his face and kissing his faceplate.

Blurr, taken by surprise, simply stared in shock at his sparkmate's actions, not wanting her to stop. She did eventually, however, and he merely let out a soft chuckle, turning around and heading back to the control room.

He walked in just in time to see the ongoing battle between him, but it wasn't between the Cybertronians and Unicron – no, this time it was between Optimus Prime and Galvatron. Optimus was attempting to rescue the latter from falling deep into Unicron's maw, and Blurr's optics widened when he realized that Unicron was still online.

"I thought the Mini-Cons offlined him!" He spoke up astonishingly, holding Saber up to see. Hot Shot held Alexis, while Sideswipe carried Carlos and Rad.

"So did we, but apparently the hate between Galvatron and Optimus keeps Unicron alive." Red Alert spoke up, informing him of the situation.

Blurr clenched his free hand into a fist, angrily. He watched as Galvatron released himself from Optimus' grip and fell into the abyss that was Unicron, which caused everyone around him to gasp in horror.

"He…sacrificed himself…"

"Yes…just like Starscream did…" A soft voice replied, leading back to Alexis.

Saber, unaware of what had happened, brought a hand up to her lips and watched as her sister's eyes welled up with tears. She frowned; if Alexis had taken his betrayal so hard how would she cope with his death?

She shook the thought out of her head for now; Optimus was returning to the _Axalon_ and he would most certainly need recharge. They would probably be turning the ship around to Earth and dropping them off there, but who would stay? Or would any of them stay at all?

She looked up at Blurr with concerned eyes but knew that it was his choice; Blurr was a smart mech who knew what he was doing. He had quite a few millennia more experience with this than she had, so whatever he chose, she would respect.

Optimus returned not too long after and the mechs, after chatting briefly with the humans in their hands and each other, set them down on the floor so they could roam around the ship if they pleased.

Alexis congratulated Optimus quietly before turning and exiting the control room. She wanted to be by herself and think of what happened, and think of the happy memories she had shared with Starscream. She wanted to mourn for her loss; she wanted to cry time and time again for the Seeker that she _knew_ had so much potential – the Seeker that, deep down, she knew she loved.

She walked to one of the windows that overlooked Cybertron and she saw it: Starscream's sword. It had no trace of the fire-red energy that had once been there – it was as dead as its owner would ever be. She stifled a sob, blinking away the tears and later wiping them off with the cuffs of her jacket.

She froze when she noticed something shining brightly against the sword. Her eyes widened and she moved closer, setting her hands on the glass and pressing against it to get a better look. She let out a gasp when the object shone even brighter than before, causing the sword to glow as it had once before – powered with life and throbbing with energy.

"Starscream…" The name escaped her lips, caressing them lovingly. Her fingers curled slightly and she watched the sword closely until the ship began to turn, blocking her view. Her breaths came in staggered gasps and she moved from one window to the next, trying to get every view of the sword that she could. Even as the ship began to move away from Cybertron and enter hyperspace, she stared at the glowing sword embedded into the Cybertronian floor, a mark of the proud owner that had claimed her heart.

"Starscream!" His name came out in a frightened cry this time; she fell to her knees and watched as the sword completely disappeared from view, leaving her no reminder of what had once been there. Tears claimed her cheeks and she pressed her hands against the glass, calling quietly.

"Starscream…come back to me."

* * *

**Author's Note**: You all probably hate me because of what I did to Starscream...I don't blame you. But you'll love me soon, I pinky promise!

So I know not all things were perfect in this one. I kinda made up what Starscream said…but what Galvatron/Megatron (I had to delete 'Megatron' and type 'Galvatron' instead soooo many times…) said about Starscream was actually in Armada. xD

I'm pretty sure I've got it right that Jetfire is Prime's second-in-command. I remember him being left in charge when Prime gave himself up to save Earth, and Hot Shot being mad at him and things like that. Man, I need to watch the ending over again…

Teaser(no 's' this time) for next chapter: The phoenix awakens!

Anyway, thanks for waiting, guys! I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter!


	8. Bond

**Author's Note**: Now that I've taken a nap, I feel very refreshed and ready to begin writing again!

**blood shifter**: I know what you mean! I was so shocked when Starscream died that I actually had to pause my DVD, then proceed to run into the hallway and back yelling angrily. Mind you, there was nobody at home (thankfully) so I didn't seem _near_ as crazy.

Weddings? Hmm, I won't say yes but I won't say no either. XD

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I was sad writing Starscream's death. He was my second-fave in Armada! And feel free to hold me to my word; I am here to please my readers' eyes! XD

I wanted to make Jetfire say something funny and that came to mind; he reminds me of my male best friend when _I_ give him a look.

**Mistress Megatron**: I wanted to make Sideways' death at least semi-good, because I knew you'd enjoy it. XD So I made him sizzle and melt, yay!

Starscream is such a wonderful character to write, and I love pairing him up with Alexis. The poor girl has had enough heartache to last a lifetime though, so I figure she needs some R&R.

I have a feeling there will be some Cybertronians roaming around our beloved Earth. XD Which means…more trips to the mall for Blurr if he doesn't act right!

I agree, Jetfire is _pretty_ amazing, haha!

Cookies for us once again, to celebrate!

**Azura Soul Reaver**: Thank you! And all will be revealed soon, I promise. ;)

**DarkMizar**: I know what you mean about Sideways! Thankfully we got rid of him last chapter, right? You're going to Greece? Oh my goodness, that sounds amazing! Tell me how it went when you come back!

Chapter eight, here we come!

P.S.: As much as I love Transformers, there are no 'six-degrees-to-Transformers' that could possibly result in me owning them.

* * *

The wait was unbearable. Alexis knew that she had to be patient; it would take time for the ship to bring them back home and give her the rest she needed. She wanted so much to go home and cry herself to sleep, so at least she'd be able to get rest and not think about him for a few hours.

Who was she kidding? She _dreamt_ of Starscream, and she knew that when she got home it would be no different. She'd be enjoying her sleep until all of a sudden _he_ would pop up, and claim her dreams just as he had claimed everything else about her.

She let out a sigh and moved back to one of the windows, glancing out. She could see Earth in the distance, which caused her lips curled up into a small smile despite all that had happened to her. If Saber could be strong, considering what she had just gone through with Unicron, then she could be strong too. She would overcome this with the best hopes she could muster, and leave everything behind – she'd have to, eventually.

Saber glanced over at her sister, and noticed the smile on her face. It wasn't much, she had to admit, but at least the girl was making progress. Saber absolutely _hated_ seeing her sister upset – especially when Alexis was a normally happy person. If she could bring Starscream back from the dead, she would, just to see a smile on her sister's face.

After a few more hours of space travel the ship finally descended on the Autobot base, and Saber couldn't help but worry about the Autobots. It would take them quite some time to repair Cybertron, but the mechs had all the time in the world now that there was finally peace in the cosmos.

Both human and 'bot exited the ship anxiously; Carlos and Rad would surely have to be home as soon as possible but the two sisters would be able to stay longer. Saber still had a few days of unclaimed vacation left before the year rolled over, so she'd most likely spend those both at home and at the base, which could now be considered her second home – her office had been bumped down to third.

As Hot Shot exited the base with the two boys inside, the girls waved goodbye and promised to keep them updated on what happened. Saber turned around to face the Autobot leader, but smiled when Blurr picked her up and brought her closer to him.

Jetfire, at a distance, held back a snicker and instead crossed his arms. He had never seen such an unlikely couple, but it was obvious that there was more to Saber and Blurr than met the eye.

"_Spark mates_…who would've thought?" He muttered quietly, turning his face away and smiling beneath his face cover, "At least Blurr has someone to calm him down now. That 'bot was _grouchy_…" He said the last word in a slightly higher pitch, and when he turned back to look at the others he could feel Blurr's intense gaze on him. He shifted slightly and settled his optics on said mech, feeling the fire burning beneath them.

"_Oh shi—"_ His thoughts were interrupted when the latter peeled his gaze away, looking down at Saber who had settled comfortably in his palm. She was sitting down with her back resting against the field commander's spark cover, and Jetfire could swear he saw love cross the battle-hardened mech's optics.

He smiled again, shaking his head slightly and relaxing his arms at his sides. "'Can't help but feel jealous of the guy. He has what every mech wants." He added in a whisper, turning back to look at Optimus, who was ready to hand out orders now that Hot Shot was back. _"That 'bot must've broken so many human speed limits to get here quickly…"_

Optimus straightened up and turned back to his soldiers, nodding once. "Alright. Now, I want some of you to stay here on Earth incase anything comes up. I'll be heading back to Cybertron along with Hot Shot, Sideswipe, Scavenger, and Smokescreen." He paused, "Red Alert, Jetfire, I'll need you to stay here and watch over the base. Update me frequently on the status of anything and everything that comes up." He paused, turning to Blurr, "I'll need Blurr to return with me temporarily to train some of the new soldiers that have fallen into the Autobot ranks. As soon as his work is done, he will return here and will be stationed on Earth until further notice." He noticed a look pass Saber's features but it disappeared quickly; the leader smiled inwardly at how well she was taking the news and continued on.

"The Mini-Cons are free to do as they please. They may remain here on Earth with the Autobots, or come along with the others to Cybertron. It is their choice."

High Wire and Sureshock had already made their choice when they left with the two boys, and it was obvious that Grindor would remain with Alexis. Optimus waited for the other Mini-Cons to make up their minds before moving either to stand by Jetfire, or by his side.

When they were done, Optimus nodded once before addressing all of his soldiers once more. "It is decided. We depart tomorrow."

* * *

Saber couldn't help but stare at the Autobot logo in the middle of the steering wheel. Alexis sat beside her, staring out the window and watching the stars twinkling in the sky. Saber set her hand on the steering wheel gently, wrapping her fingers around the sides and running her thumb caressingly over the middle, eyes softening as she stared at the insignia. Her bottom lip puffed out slightly by itself, almost in a pout, and her mind wandered to how long she'd have to wait before Blurr came back to Earth. She didn't mind months, even years of waiting as long as he came back.

Her train of thought was broken abruptly as the car pulled to a stop, and Saber blinked once before realizing she needed to get out. She smiled nervously before opening the door and climbing out, stepping back to allow Blurr to transform. She turned to see Alexis heading inside the home, probably to get some rest as well as give them privacy. She climbed into his hand when the mech offered it to her, and she let out a quiet sigh when he moved to their backyard and eventually sat down.

He brought her close to his face and looked into her hazel eyes before speaking.

"I do not expect you to wait for me, Saber Anderson." He moved a digit of his free hand and ran it gently down the side of her face, watching as she closed her eyes to take in the warming caress.

"I may be gone for the human timeframe of months, or even years. I don't think it would be wise for me to promise you a quick return."

Saber opened her eyes, setting her hands gently on his finger. She paused a moment, running the words over in her mind before parting her lips to speak.

"I'll wait a lifetime, Blurr, because that's all the time I have. I don't care how long it takes – I will wait for you and I'll be here when you come back." She paused, "As for your promise, all I want is this: keep yourself safe, and don't forget to tell all the femmes back on Cybertron that you've got a girl, okay?" She winked at him, causing him to let out a few chuckles before setting her down on the ground.

"You need recharge, my spark mate…" He added, using one digit to turn her around and push her gently toward the home, "I will see you tomorrow morning before my departure."

"Okay." Saber added quietly, walking up and using the stairs to get to her balcony. She paused a moment before glancing over her shoulder to look at him, then continued promptly to go inside, changing into her pajamas.

Blurr, assuming she was about to go into stasis, transformed into his vehicle mode and prepared himself for the next day. He was about to slip into stasis himself when he heard the soft 'click' of the balcony doors closing again, and he froze – hadn't Saber just gone inside a little while ago?

His question was answered when the latter, set a hand on his hood and spoke up, quiet.

"Is it…" She hesitated, hiding a pillow behind her back, "…okay if I sleep out here with you tonight?"

Blurr contemplated it, smiling even as he was in his vehicle mode. He shifted his small back seat so that it was completely folded back, and would provide a nice makeshift bed for Saber. He rolled down his window and watched as she walked over, setting the pillow inside and leaning in slightly, resting her arms where the window would be.

"Do you watch me from that Autobot logo when you're in vehicle mode?" She asked suddenly, moving back a bit before jumping when she felt someone grab her sides. The latter spun her around, bringing her close to him and holding her tightly, nuzzling his face into her neck. It took her a moment to realize what happened and by then she had settled her arms around his neck snugly, shutting her eyes and kissing his ear.

"I'm going to miss you, Blurr…"

Blurr's holoform moved back slightly to look into her eyes; his crimson irises were gently illuminated by the moon's glow, "And I you, my spark mate. The bond we have acquired is not an easy one to break; however, it will still cause us both pain from being so far away from each other – galaxies, millions of light-years away."

Saber could feel her eyes prickling with tears and she blinked them away; she hugged herself closer to him until their lips were almost touching. "And I wouldn't change it for the world, love…" The word escaped her lips with unnatural ease; Saber wasn't one to use the word lightly so Blurr knew that when she said it, she meant it.

The holoform was quick to remove any space in between them; he locked his lips with hers and moved his hands from her torso to her cheeks. He held her there for a moment, before the two parted and he set his forehead against hers, rivaling the beauty of her eyes with his.

"You need recharge, as do I, my spark mate. I suggest you do so before your body shuts down on its own."

Saber nodded quietly, she looked into his eyes and managed to steal another kiss before Blurr willingly shut off his holoform this time and opened the door for her, gently nudging her aside.

"Hey!" She called, laughing quietly. She moved the seat so she could climb into the back, and once she was in she grabbed the pillow she had thrown in and set it under her head, pausing a moment.

"Oh no, I forgot a blanket…"

"Look under the seat."

She did so, reaching down and grabbing a soft-textured blanket. She set her cheek against it, admiring how soft and warm it was before looking at the Autobot insignia on the steering wheel.

"Thank you. You know me too well." She winked at him before settling back down on the seat and covering her body with the blanket, easily drifting off into sleep.

"Goodnight, Blurr…" She managed to mumble, her body giving in to fatigue and the stress it had suffered a few days earlier.

The mech remained quiet, not wanting to disturb her. He locked the doors and rolled his window back up; he settled into stasis once a worn-out Saber had given in to sleep.

* * *

Every month felt like a year to Saber. It had almost been twelve months since Blurr had left, and she couldn't help but miss him dearly. She hid it most of the time, claiming that if she seemed upset it was merely because of stress at work. The truth was, however, that everything at work was going perfectly – they had gotten plenty of new clients and Saber had gotten a raise, which would certainly fluff up her paychecks from that point on. She had begun to teach Alexis how to drive; without Blurr nearby and Red Alert being busy there really wasn't anybody that could take them somewhere – now that the younger Anderson was becoming quite the young lady she would need to be able to take herself places, especially with the job she was planning on getting. Although the girls didn't need money, both of the sisters felt that it would be good for Alexis to get used to maintaining a work schedule, as well as getting organized – Alexis was already organized, but the younger girl felt it would help.

Saber had been frequenting visits to the Autobot base and eventually getting snippets of information about how Blurr was doing back on Cybertron. The mechs that were under his leadership tended to be the best in their field, and Blurr would easily whip them into shape with his no-nonsense attitude. True, that would cause some of the mechs to not like him, but that wasn't what mattered – he was doing his job and he was doing it well.

Saber had asked Jetfire to be Alexis' temporary guardian – temporary only because the older Anderson had a feeling that her sibling still had hope that Starscream was alive. She didn't want to anger the person that she cared about so dearly, but Jetfire understood and would frequently take Alexis on trips to outer space, where they would examine other planets and bring souvenirs back for the others.

Red Alert and Saber had also grown a bond; the medic and herself usually spent countless hours fixing whatever needed to be fixed around the base and examining local Earth specimen, which the 'bot would later release but keep all the information on file.

It was the middle of October when Jetfire received the notice from Cybertron; Blurr would depart from the Autobot base the next day and they could expect to see him a few days afterward. A smirk spread beneath his faceplate and he replied back with a simple 'Notification Received: Will report once Blurr enters Autobot-Earth base. –Jetfire"

The latter also 'forgot' to mention the news to Saber, figuring that she needed a good surprise to brighten up her day when he arrived.

* * *

Saber rolled over in her bed; it was almost midnight and she could've sworn that she heard the sound of a transformation happening in her backyard – what else could've woken her up? She groaned and stepped out of the warm sheets and settled her feet on the soft carpet, searching around for her comfy house slippers.

The girl sighed and opened the door to her balcony, stepping outside. She rubbed her eyes and looked up, seeing a small amount of movement in the distance. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, forgetting to close the door behind her and shook her head to clear her mind.

"What in the world…?" Her words trailed off when a figure stepped forward; she couldn't help but feel frightened by how large it was – despite the fact that she had been around Autobots for quite a while, the sight of one she couldn't make out in the dark sent shivers down her spine.

Her heart skipped a beat when the latter stepped out into the backyard and moonlight shone down on his armor; She let out a soft gasp and put her hands up to her mouth, covering it. "You're back!"

"Yes, that I am. However, it seems we've got a little problem—"

"Where's the _problem_?" A raspy voice suddenly picked up; Saber watched in astonishment and disbelief as another mech made his way forward, taller than Blurr and with large, wing protrusions on his shoulders.

The usually calm and collected Saber had to hold back the urge to scream _'HOLY SHIT! ZOMBIEEEEEE!!'_ and run around in circles until she ran into a wall, knocking herself unconscious.

Instead, she grabbed the balcony railing tightly and simply stared up at the mech, who had his arms crossed and seemed to almost be _glaring_ at her with the fire-red optics that rivaled Blurr's. However, Saber didn't stand alone for long – she heard an even _more_ astonished gasp coming from her right and she flinched, turning suddenly to see her younger sister standing there.

"Starscream!" Her voice croaked out, shocked to see him standing there, "I knew you were alive! I knew it!" She cried, tears rolling down her cheeks when said mech reached out towards her and picked her up, holding her protectively.

Saber gave the 'bot a dull look before shaking her head, surprise fading off. "Relax, Starscream – we're not going to _hurt_ the girl." She paused, realizing that he wasn't holding her so close because he thought they were going to harm her – no, he was holding her close in fear of her being taken away. At the thought Saber smiled, shaking head and holding out a hand, which the mech looked at apprehensively.

"Chill, okay?" She paused, noticing confusion cross his face briefly before finally settling into a calm demeanor – he must've looked up the slang within seconds of her saying it, "I'm not going to take Alexis away. As much as I should for what you did to her…" Her eyelids narrowed and she could've sworn she saw shame in the Seeker's optics, "…she's obviously happier when you're around. All I want to know is _how_…"

Starscream, understanding what she meant, followed Blurr's move to sit down and settled himself on the ground, bringing Alexis close to his spark chamber. He had seen her shiver out of the corner of his optic, and he remembered that the weather on Earth changed frequently – if his scans were correct, their location was currently approaching winter, which would mean that the air was colder and the humans would need more than pants and a tank top to keep them warm.

His vents released air, and he smiled slightly at the feel of Alexis being close to him again.

"I suppose I owe you that much – after all, it was you who brought me back online."

Saber met his look with one of confusion. "_Me_?"

"Yes…" He paused, trying to think of the best way to explain it, "My spark, instead of going into the Matrix, drifted toward the necklace Unicron gave to you. I somehow knew what was happening – the AllSpark shards inside of the necklace were what kept you online, giving you the oxygen humans require to remain alive." He hesitated, trying to make the best explanation he could, "The dress that Unicron gave to you was supposed to boost your power – it did not only that, but it combined with the AllSpark in keeping you alive. I am assuming that Unicron didn't know the AllSpark shards would give you oxygen, which is why he gave you that dress." He shifted slightly, trying not to focus on the feel of Alexis pressed against his spark chamber.

"It's very peculiar. I didn't expect Unicron to be so protective of you but the AllSpark managed to inform me that Unicron's spark wouldn't allow him to offline you." He shrugged, his massive wings creating a small current of wind, "It's such an unlikely circumstance that the AllSpark would choose you, out of all sentient beings, to be able to boost Unicron's power."

Saber nearly fell over from the explanation. _"Wait a second…AllSpark plus Unicron plus Me equals lots of power? How does __**that**__ work?"_ She thought, holding her swaying form up with the railing's help. She let out a quiet groan, almost falling to her knees if it hadn't been for Blurr's hand coming to scoop her up. The smaller of the two mechs held her close, looking back at Starscream.

"The AllSpark _told_ you all of this?" He asked, raising an optic ridge at the Seeker's very defensive response.

"_Yes_, it _did_. Is that a _problem_?" He hissed, his jaw clenched tightly as his optics narrowed in defiance at Blurr's question.

Blurr gave out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "We'll have to tell Optimus about all this. Maybe he'll understand more than we can." He paused, rising to his feet and seeing Starscream do the same. He reached over, setting Saber down carefully and rubbing her back gently with one finger. "You are in need of recharge, my spark mate. I suggest you go inside and warm your systems up with the cloth on your stasis bed; my scans indicate that the temperature is sixty-two degrees and dropping." He paused, turning to look at Starscream, "And young Alexis needs to do the same."

The Seeker was about to give him a curt response but a soft voice stopped him, causing him to lift the small girl up close to his face.

"Starscream…" She hesitated, shifting a bit in his grasp, "Blurr's right. I need sleep, but…" She paused, moving forward slightly and setting her warm hands on his left cheek gently, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I'll be waiting…" She leaned forward, pressing her pink, moist lips on his cheek, on the space between her two hands before pushing back again and allowing him to lower her to her sister's balcony.

She was about to make her way inside but stopped suddenly, turning around and looking up at the seeker with admiration in her dark green eyes.

"Thank you for coming back, Starscream." She smiled, "Goodnight." She turned then and entered the home, making her way back to her room.

Saber paused, motioning for Blurr to come closer. She pressed her lips against his cheek as well, patting it affectionately afterwards and causing the large mech to shift a bit, feeling Starscream's optics on them, watching curiously. The older Anderson winked her eye at him before turning to Starscream, waving slightly. "Goodnight, to both of you. Make sure you get some recharge, okay?" She moved the curtain aside and entered, shutting the sliding door behind her and settling into her bed.

Blurr waited for her to get settled before turning back to Starscream, hating the fact that he had to look up.

"I think we need to head back to base so you can tell Optimus everything you know."

Starscream paused, glaring at the smaller mech. "Is that an order?"

"Are you an Autobot?" Blurr replied simply, crossing his arms.

The Seeker clenched his jaw, thinking of the small girl inside the home before motioning for Blurr to lead the way. He waited for the other mech to transform, hesitating before looking back at the home and picking up Alexis' energy signature with ease. He smiled slightly when he realized she was asleep, _"Thank you for saving me, Alexis. And goodnight to you as well."_ He jumped into the air, transforming and following Blurr closely back to the Autobot base.

* * *

**Author's Note**: There we go! How'd everyone like it? My eyes are burning because I'm really tired and I stayed up a bit writing this when I should be sleeping and getting ready for work tomorrow morning. xD Oh well!

No teasers for next chapter; I want it to be a surprise. ;)

Thanks for reading, everybody!


	9. Save

**Author's Note**: Sorry about the wait, guys. XD I spent some time trying to plan this chapter out and figuring out how to make sure everything worked out…so, to say the least, I was slaving to Transformers again.

I came home really tired friday night from working ten and a half hours at two different jobs, with only a 15 minute break to sit down. So, instead of writing…I lay down on my bed and watched TF: Armada! It brought back good memories. Then Saturday I woke up, got ready for work, and managed to eat a little something before heading off to work at around half-past noon. Not to mention I found my Armada toys Saturday in the garage while I was looking for books to donate to the library. xD Ah, adventures…anyway, on to the reviews!

**Nola1**: Haha, I'll be sure to do that for you!

**Azura Soul Reaver**: I think a lot of people love me for that. XD And thank you!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: Starscream is back, that's for sure! And yes, Saber and Blurr make quite the couple, don't they?

**randomlass**: Aww, thanks! And I know what you mean – I read your review and I laughed myself, which caused my manager at one of my jobs to give me a double-take. xD It was great.

**Mistress Megatron**: Lol I'm pretty sure she submerged herself in work and clientele to not think about him. XD But I'm sure parties for the company were thrown in there, too!

I know what you meant. XD Starscream still kept his 'con attitude even after Blurr 'brought him home', haha!

Wow I like your dream! I have random dreams about Transformers and other really weird stuff. Like that part about Saber being in that dress that Unicron gave her? Yeah, I dreamt that…it was so strange.

There's gonna be a lot of Jetfire comin' up, I promise you! And Optimus is pretty nice…but I agree, he's not my fave either. He's right below the arrogant jerks (AKA Blurr and Starscream xD)

Thank you!

**DarkMizar**: I know it! I was pretty happy myself to bring him back; it was pretty fun doing it. ;)

**blood shifter**: I wouldn't blame her if she threw something at him! I would…haha! And thank you!

P.S.: Still no ownage of TF for me!

* * *

Saber woke up to the familiar feeling of being alone. She sat up in her sheets, glancing over at the clock and noticed it was nine on a Saturday morning. Frowning, she pushed the sheets away and made her way to the balcony, moving the curtains away and noticing there was nobody in the backyard. She sighed quietly, turning around and looking at her door, thinking for a moment.

"Hey Ale—" Her yell was cut off abruptly by the sound of her door opening; she blinked twice and stared at her younger sister in confusion.

"How'd you…? Nevermind." She paused, raising an index finger and getting ready to talk again, "Did you have—"

"—the same dream you did?" The younger Anderson questioned, raising an eyebrow. When her sister nodded suspiciously, Alexis made a small motion that she was going back to her room to shower and change.

Saber did the same, and within a short amount of time the two sisters were getting into Saber's car, then pulling out of the driveway and heading to the Autobot base.

The two girls chatted the whole way about what they had believed to be a 'dream' the night before; when they got to the base they entered with haste and hurried up to the first mech they saw – Jetfire.

"JetfirewedreamtaboutBlurrandStarscreambutitfeltrealand—"

The two girls spoke too rapidly for the mech to keep up with, even with his advanced programming and he stepped back, holding his hands out in a surrendering motion.

"Whoa, _whoa_, ladies!" He paused, waiting for them to calm down before shaking his head, "All I understood was Jetfire, Blurr, and Starscream. Now, I'm doing _just fine_, thanks for asking…" He smiled when the sisters' cheeks turned red, "…and so are Blurr and Starscream. They had a long night of explaining everything to Optimus, so they're in stasis right now – recharging. So _relax_, sit back and smell the flowers, huh? They'll be up in no time." The mech used his index digit of both hands to gently nudge them towards where their respective loved ones were, before turning back and typing something into the computer.

Both of the siblings looked at each other briefly before exiting the communications room and heading down different hallways.

"Don't get lost Alexis, you hear me?" Saber teased, letting out a soft laugh before settling her hands behind her head and walking towards Blurr's quarters. She heard her sister blow a raspberry in response before continuing on herself, towards where Starscream was.

* * *

Saber heard the soft 'whoosh' of the sliding doors opening with her presence. She smiled slightly; Blurr must've programmed her energy signature into the security lock – everyone else except Optimus would have to put in their own special pass code for the room.

She entered quietly, noticing the large mech sitting in vehicle mode at one corner of the room. _"Figures. Always the loner, even when there's nobody in the room…corners himself all the time."_ She shook her head, walking up to the sleek vehicle and gently dropping to her knees. She moved her cheek to rest against the hood of the car, smiling at the fact that it was warm.

"Good morning, Blurr." She whispered, shutting her eyes and listening to the soft, distant hum of the mech's spark. She flinched and let out a loud yelp when she heard someone speak to her in return.

"Good morning to you as well, Saber."

Saber stared at the car, backing up slightly. She shook her head and watched as Blurr began to transform, gears whirring and clicking into place. Her eyes rose slowly to meet the tall mech's, and she let out a quiet sigh. "Thanks for scaring me half to death."

She could feel him smirking beneath his faceplate and let out a sigh, shaking her head. "You're too much."

"In size? Of course. I'm quite a few feet taller than you, Miss Anderson." He added matter-of-factly, crossing his arms and flickering his optics, as if he was blinking, when he saw the look on her face.

"Not like _that_. I mean—nevermind." She let out an exasperated sigh, opening her mouth to speak, but pausing when she heard someone at the door. The mech outside could be heard hurriedly typing a few numbers in before the 'bot-sized doors opened with a _woosh_ and Jetfire stepped inside.

"Uh, hey guys. Looks like we've got a couple of additions to the Autobot household." He said this, obviously trying to hide something in his optics. He turned quickly after telling them the news and exited without another word, causing the other two to be left behind in confusion.

Saber spoke first, looking at Blurr with an eyebrow raised. "Um…_couple_ of additions?"

The latter shrugged, picking her up gently and carrying her out of the room.

* * *

"Starscream."

The proud, red-and-white mech raised his optics to meet Alexis' emerald colored eyes. He shifted uncomfortably – Alexis was standing on his recharge 'bed', and he was sitting to be at her eye-level.

"Yes?" He responded after a moment, trying hard to peel his gaze away from the fragile human girl.

"I'm…" She paused, almost as if struggling to find words to describe what she felt. "…glad you're back. I really missed you." She spoke truthfully, looking away sheepishly and digging the ball of her foot into the metal bed's surface, causing her sneaker to squeak quietly.

"I'm glad to be online as well, Alexis. Although…" He paused, uncertain whether to speak further or not – when she turned her gaze to him he gave in, "…I missed you as well. Even though I was in the Matrix, I could still feel the sorrow and pain that your heart was going through, because…" He hesitated, "…I felt it too, in my spark." He looked down, "I wanted to be back with you so…badly, Alexis. I can only assume that my love for you along with your sister's desire for you to be happy was what brought me back. I suppose the AllSpark sensed that and brought me back simply for that purpose." His shoulders slumped slightly, "Now that Megatron is gone and the Decepticons are on Cybertron I feel lost, confused…" His words came out with slight difficulty – it was known that Starscream was never one to share his feelings openly unless it was his hate for Megatron.

Alexis stared at the mech before kneeling down, trying to get his attention. "You're got a home here, Starscream…" She waited for him to look before pointing to her heart, then motioning towards the room, "…not only in my heart, but at this base. I'm sure Saber wouldn't mind if you came home with us, either…" She sighed, "Don't belittle yourself, Starscream…you've captured my heart, and now that you're back I feel whole again. Don't make me lose myself in despair." Her eyes softened and she blinked away a few tears, "I…I _love_ you, Starscream…I want you to realize that…"

The mech could feel his optics widen as he stared at the small figure. He reached out gently, using a single digit to stroke her back tenderly. He flinched slightly when her body convulsed and she looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes.

"Starscream, will you…shut off your optics for me?"

The once-Decepticon looked at her in confusion, moving his hand away.

"Move closer and shut off your optics. It's a surprise."

He hesitated before dimming his optics, moving closer so he was within touching distance.

"No peeking, Starscream."

The mech grumbled quietly before dimming his optics to the point that the red was barely visible, even at a close distance. He waited for her to act, thoughts running through his main processor before he felt something soft and warm touch his face. He was about to question her movements but he didn't have the chance to part his lips before Alexis' own traced his mouth, causing his spark to heat up rapidly in his spark chamber. He could feel her effort to lean forward, and he used a digit to help her, moving closer himself.

When he felt her move away his spark protested, yearning for her touch again. He remembered something that he had downloaded while he had been at the Autobot base, and used a bit of effort in loading it, but he was pleased with the results.

Alexis looked at Starscream's still form, wondering if she had done something wrong. She waved a hand in front of his optic, noticing that it was still completely dimmed. "S-Star?" She used the nickname she had given him not too long ago – he usually refused it simply because he didn't believe himself worthy of being compared to what he was named after.

She almost screamed when someone tapped her shoulder, but she turned around to stare straight at human neck. Her eyes widened and she raised her gaze to meet an intense fire-red one, which caused her to let out a gasp, stumbling backwards. Someone caught her with ease and brought her close, and she couldn't help but allow her eyes to widen when she heard his voice.

"Hello, Alexis."

The voice was so familiar that she nearly fell over from shock, had he not been holding her. She whimpered slightly, unable to peel her gaze away from his, "S-Starscream?"

"The one and only." The man smiled, showing pearly whites beneath his gentle pink lips.

Alexis stared at him, taking in his caramel complexion. She reached up hesitantly, running her fingers through his short, sandy-blonde hair and furrowing her brows slightly in concentration. Everything felt so real…but if Starscream was sitting right behind her, then who was this man? This muscled, fit, tanned man?

Almost as if reading her mind, Starscream's holoform opened his mouth in another smile – he seemed to be doing that more often lately.

"I downloaded Red Alert's program while I was here on base. I haven't gotten the updates, so I can't stay in this form too long, but I'll be sure to ask Red Alert next time I see him about it."

Alexis nodded dumbly, eyes still fixated on his. Her eyelids lowered when her eyes traced his face down to settle on his lips. She looked back up at him briefly, and was about to speak when she was interrupted by the unfamiliar feeling of soft lips grazing hers. Her eyes widened before acting on their own, eyelids closing while her hands moved up his torso to settle on his chest. Although his holoform was cold, she didn't care – she was also too engulfed in the kiss to realize someone had joined them in the room.

It didn't take long for Starscream's hologram to flicker once, causing them to part. She took a step back, released from his embrace only to turn and see Jetfire standing there, one optic ridge raised and an index digit raised in the air, as if ready to speak.

The latter said nothing, but instead set his hand down, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room, shaking his head.

* * *

A few minutes after Jetfire had informed the others about the new arrivals, everyone stood gathered in the middle of the communications room. Saber shifted uncomfortably, and Blurr and Starscream simply remained standing, arms crossed. Alexis looked around at all of them, letting out a quiet sigh and pursing her lips to the side, eyes scanning over the room with interest.

Jetfire stepped in then, followed by Red Alert and what seemed to be a smaller mech. The latter stepped up once they were in front of the others, looking up at Starscream briefly before turning to Blurr.

"_Blurr_, my man! How have you _been_?! Still stylin' and profilin', I see. I dig, I dig."

The mech simply stared at him, optics wide. It seemed that the 'bot had already used the internet to look up human slang words and phrases.

"_Primus_, Jazz…"

Saber could almost feel her jaw hit the floor as she stared at the mech. He was small – obviously smaller than Jetfire, but slightly smaller than Blurr. However, he was still pretty big, according to human standards.

"Oh – my - _god_…"

The mech turned with her words, looking down and grinning. He moved to be at her eye-level, holding a finger out for her to shake. "'Name's Jazz, beautiful. A pleasure to finally meet you. We've heard a lot about you back on Cybertron."

Saber shook his finger, blinking twice. "Saber Anderson – and the pleasure's all mine." She smiled, "And nothing bad, I hope."

The 'bot grinned, "Not at all, missy. _However_…" He glanced over to Blurr, holding a hand up to the side of his face and using his other one to thumb in his direction, "…we're all impressed by how you handle 'ol _Blurr_ here. He was always one of the _grouchy_ ones." He said the word in a slightly higher pitch, as Jetfire had done long before, earning himself a glare from said mech but a laugh from Saber.

"It's not that big a deal. Once you find a way into his spark…" She paused, looking up at him with a smile, "…he kinda grows on you."

Jazz stood back up, nodding once before crossing his arms and looking around. "So, Prime sent me here to check up on things. I have a feeling I'll be stationed in this planet for a _while_…which means you _ladies_ will have to deal with yours truly all the way." He smirked, making a motion to push up his visor, as if he was trying to show off his power.

Saber looked from Jazz to the other 'bots, who all seemed to be shaking their head. She had a feeling that Jazz and Jetfire would both be acting as second-in-command to Optimus, which might just bring some tension – or comedy – to the base.

It didn't strike her until later that they were missing someone.

"Hey, where's the other guy?" She asked, obviously referring to whom Jazz had come to the base with.

"_Chill_, pretty lady. She's in Red Alert's office takin' a nap. She had a _nasty_ bruise when I found her."

"She?" Alexis and Saber piped up – they'd never seen an Autobot femme before.

"Yup. She—" He paused, looking towards sick bay and nodding towards Red Alert. "—is actually coming online, as we speak."

The two girls smiled, hot on Red Alert's heels as he entered the sick bay. They looked around for any signs of a femme, but they couldn't see anything from their view.

Blurr and Starscream both paused, looking at the bed where the 'femme' lay. They both simultaneously moved to pick up their respective mates, glancing at each other uncomfortably before allowing them a view of the newcomer.

Saber's eyes widened. The girl that lay on the sick bay bed wasn't a femme at all – it was a human, a really pretty one, at that. The girl had natural soft curls, which easily rivaled Saber's hair, and were a lighter shade than it, as well. She had a petite body – everything was proportionate – and she wore clothes that were nice but not too revealing. The right side of her jeans was ripped open, but she wore bandages under her jeans – obviously Red Alert's work. There were small blood stains on them from her wound, and her clothes were ripped slightly in different places.

"Dear god, what happened to her?" She whispered, watching as the girl's eyelids fluttered slightly, revealing her cerulean hues. Saber almost gasped at how pretty they were when they caught the light, glimmering softly. She glanced around once out of habit, pausing when she noticed Jetfire was missing. _"Wonder where that 'bot ran off to…"_ She thought, turning her attention back to the girl in question.

"It might be best for you two girls to talk to her first. After all, she'll be very shocked from seeing us – I think it'd be wise if you two explain that everything's alright." Red Alert spoke, getting a nod of approval from both girls. He waited for Starscream and Blurr to set the girls down before taking a step back, not wanting to be too close to the girl and intimidate her.

The girl managed to sit up, shaking her head and rubbing her sore neck. She let out a soft sigh, blinking twice to clear her vision before looking up at the two girls in front of her.

"Where am I?"

"You're at the Autobot base…one of our friends found you and brought you here."

"Autobot base? What are you—" She glanced past them to see Starscream, whose optics were red and burning a hole through her being. She let out a gasp, flinching and noticing the others in the room – all giant, absurdly tall robots.

"What – the – _hell_?!" She screamed, scrambling to her feet and wobbling a little. She hesitantly accepted help from the girls, who tried to calm her down and, after a while, succeeded.

"I'm sorry about my language…" She said quietly, bottom lip quivering slightly in fear. She looked away from the mechs, attempting to sit down so she could absorb all the information.

Saber paused, motioning for Red Alert to come over and give her the explanation she had heard a long time before. When he was done, she looked back at the trembling girl, whose gaze traveled between every mech in the room and finally settled on her. Saber kneeled in front of her and took her hands, smiling. "They won't hurt you. I promise. They're gentle giants." She winked at her, "Although some of them can be pretty grouchy sometimes." She heard Blurr's scoff in the background followed by Starscream's 'humph', which caused the girl to chuckle quietly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name's Saber Anderson and this is my sister Alexis." She motioned for the mechs to introduce themselves, which they promptly did before she turned back to the girl and smiled.

"Rosaline. Rosaline Adair." She smiled, shaking Saber's hand before following to shake Alexis'. She paused a moment, looking confused before looking around at all the mechs.

"Um…is there one missing? I thought I heard another voice when I was brought here." She asked sheepishly, feeling extremely small under their gazes – despite the fact that she was about Saber's height, and the latter didn't seem intimidated at all.

Saber looked at her a moment before realizing what she was talking about. "Oh! You mean _Jetfire_…" She nodded, "I don't know where he went, but he'll be back, and we'll introduce him. It's strange for him to leave, though…he's usually pretty outgoing when it comes to these things." She saw the look in Rosaline's eyes, which caused her to shake her head, "You didn't do anything wrong, dear. You'll understand when you see him." She paused, a common question suddenly popping up in her head.

"Say…what _happened_ to you out there? It had to be bad if Jazz was willing to risk our secrecy on Earth."

The quiet girl smiled at her before nodding once, seeing truth in her words. She then paused, trying to remember the memory that was still fuzzy in her mind.

"Well…all I remember was being hit by some vehicle…I can't distinguish if it was motorcycle of car, but…I was on a sidewalk next to a hill, which has a lot of thorn bushes and trees. I don't remember seeing a driver…" She furrowed her eyebrows, "…but I do remember that the car slammed hard into my leg and threw me off balance. I rolled down the hill and the thorn bushes slashed my leg, and I can vaguely remember slamming my head into a tree trunk – that was what knocked me out."

Saber let out a low whistle, shaking her head and glancing at Jazz. "You're lucky Jazz found you, then…whoever did that did it with malice and probably an intent to kill."

Starscream narrowed his optics at the girl – did she say that the car had no driver? He was sure she had – no, he was _absolutely positive_ that she had said it, but what could it really mean? Was there any chance that a Decepticon could've done that to Rosaline?

He turned the question over in his head, shaking it off after a moment and muttering something quietly. He didn't have to worry about this now – the girl was safe and he was back with Alexis.

Saber, on the other hand, could feel her mind gears getting in motion. She was determined to find out who had done this to her and punish them to the full extent of the law – human or Cybertronian.

* * *

Jetfire stood in front of a large screen, hands held up in a surrendering motion. "--But Optimus!"

The latter shook his head, his regal figure displaying cleanly through the screen, despite the distance.

"I'm sorry, Jetfire, but I will not make exceptions. Now that she has found out about us, someone must be appointed to take care of her – we never know when any unruly Decepticons will show up on Earth." He paused, optics softening slightly when he saw his second-in-command's face, "…you'll have to deal with this just like Blurr did, old friend."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sorry about the long wait, once again. I tried to get this out faster but I figured that it was better to wait and write a good story than rush it out and get a lame one. My updates might be slowing down a bit now that I've got summer band at night and work in the mornings, but I'll still update as frequently as I can!

What do you guys think of Jetfire's little ordeal? Mwahahaha!

Thanks for reading, everybody!


	10. Ties

**Author's Note**: Hello everyone! Band and work have been keeping me pretty busy, but hopefully I won't disappoint with this chapter.

On to reviews!

**blood shifter**: I know! They're going to be so mean to him…Unfortunately, Jazz has been snatched…you'll see by who soon! And thanks!

**Mistress Megatron**: Although you won't be able to read this when I update, here's some cookies for you!

Hahaha! Poor Jetfire, always walking in on the couples. And they didn't really have a dream, per se…they just _thought_ they had the same dream, which was Starscream and Blurr coming back. That's why they went to Jetfire and asked him about it, so they could see if they had really dreamed that their respective spark/soul mates were back.

Jetfire's going to have a time with this one! I'm glad you love this story; it loves you back, I promise! Haha, thanks!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I love writing Alexis and Starscream together, they're so cute! I have a feeling you're on the right path about Jetfire and the new girl…mwahahaha! This chapter shall unveil all!

**Azura Soul Reaver**: Something is coming for Jazz too, just wait! And thanks!

**randomlass**: Oh, believe me, I'm going to have a great time writing the slang. XD And thank you! Saber is based heavily on myself, except she's taller and a few other physical differences. :) I've changed a few things about her but it's still fun writing things that I could possibly do or say. Thanks again!

**Nola1**: I have a feeling you'll enjoy it!

**DarkMizar**: I've never gone to Disneyworld :( But that's not what's important! I hope you've gotten your voice back! And I'm glad you're happy about Starscream and Alexis, I think you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! I decided to make Starscream blonde because that's how I saw him pictured once as a human, and I liked it. And yes, Jetfire's in quite a predicament right now! Haha!

I kinda miss updating every night! It's sad how I don't have enough time anymore. :(

P.S.: Transformers equals no ownage by me.

* * *

Saber tiptoed her way into the hallway, making her way towards where Rosaline was talking to Red Alert. She heard their conversation, picking up bits and pieces and figuring that the girl was simply telling the medic any health hazards she might have or had in the past.

She dismissed the conversation quickly, tiptoeing past the sick bay and into the communications room, walking up to the large computer. She typed a few things into it, and quickly got coordinates to where a certain Autobot had run off to. She saw that the dot on the map began to move back toward base, so she exited out of the screen and made her way outside, through the back door where Jetfire would enter.

Once out she began to walk further on, slipping on her earpiece and gently pressing a button, locking in to Jetfire's frequency and opening up a radio link.

"Ooooh Jetfiiiireee…"

She could hear him sigh on the other end before replying.

"Can I help you, Saber?"

"Yes, you can. Meet me outside base; I have a question to ask."

"Fine."

A few seconds passed before he severed the connection and she waited, removing the headset and setting it in her pocket again. A few more minutes passed before he finally came into view, transforming from his space shuttle mode and landing swiftly in front of her, causing a small amount of dust to kick up, but enough to start her coughing.

"Jeez Jetfire, way to make a grand entrance." She coughed some more, clearing her throat, "I think that was an attempt to kill me." She looked up at the mech, noticing there was no smile in his optics as there usually was. He wasn't making a comment or chuckling at her small expense, much unlike his usual self.

Saber took a step back, raising her hands in a surrendering motion.

"Whoa, what up with the silent treatment?" She asked, obviously concerned.

The mech shifted uncomfortably, looking around before leaning forward and picking her up, carefully. He turned again and began to head towards the wooded area near the base, past a few tall rocks; when he arrived he set Saber down by a tree before sitting down himself, resting his back against a different tree and causing it to heave slightly with his movement.

He hesitated, glancing between Saber and the horizon, which was covered mainly by the tree branches. He released air from his vents before turning his head away from her, and reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

"I can't go back there, Saber. Optimus appointed me to be the young girl's guardian."

Saber, quick to pick up on who he was speaking of, saw no connection and shrugged her shoulders. "Isn't that a compliment? Rosaline – that's her name, by the way, since you weren't there – seems like a really nice girl. She's a little bit quiet, but she has good intentions at heart; why do you not want to be her guardian?"

The mech groaned internally before turning to look at Saber, fixing his optics on her hazel eyes. "Because of the same reason Blurr didn't want to be yours."

It took Saber a moment to realize what he meant before she let out a surprised 'oh' and began to topple backward; if it wasn't for Jetfire helping her sit down she would've fallen straight back.

She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly and bringing her gaze to settle on his. She smiled, pausing a moment before saying, "So…sparkmates, huh?"

Jetfire frowned beneath his facial mask, ripping his optics from her warm eyes and turning to look at the glistening water in the distance, shoulders slumped.

"Look…" She paused, rising to her feet and walking up to him, patting his leg armor reassuringly, "…maybe it's not as bad as you think. I mean, Blurr and I had to go through the same thing, and now look at us!" She paused, holding her hands out and giving him a thumbs-up with a big smile; she held it when he glanced at her before dropping her smile and hunching her shoulders, pursing her lips to the side.

"Okay, so maybe that's not the best example…but _c'mon_ Jetfire! Aren't you the one that says 'You can fall alone or fall together'?" She smiled, waiting for him to process what she meant, "And I think you need to know…she knew you weren't there when she woke up."

Jetfire froze, turning slowly to look at her. "…how?"

"She said that whenever Jazz was bringing her in, she heard your voice…and when she didn't hear it as we were introducing ourselves, she asked about it. Turns out, it was your voice that stuck out in her mind…" She gave him a wink, nudging him as much as she could with her small figure before setting her hands on her hips and looking up at him again.

"You need to face this like a mech. And…" She paused, almost glaring at him, "…you need to apologize to her."

* * *

Rosaline wandered around the base, exploring it despite her wounds. She had managed to sneak out, against Red Alert's orders and her better judgment, to explore the base simply out of curiosity. It was not something she would've normally done, but then again, what was normal about the situation she was in? She was injured, saved by giant robots, and was _desperately_ wanting to know the mech whose voice had stuck in her mind so vividly…

She sighed dreamily, her childish instincts getting the better of her as she peeked into one of the rooms. "_Jetfire_…that's his name. I wonder when I'll get to meet him." She said quietly, blinking when she saw nobody in the room and stepping inside the human-sized door, glancing around. She walked up to what she figured was the bed, and figured the room was one of the mech's rooms, considering the size of everything. She heard loud, Cybertronian-sized footsteps and panicked, hiding behind the bed and squeezing her eyes shut.

"_God, what am I doing? They've probably got like, heat sensors or something…"_ She thought, letting out a quiet sigh and figuring it was Red Alert that entered the room, looking for her. When she didn't hear her name being called she opened her eyes, blinking away the white spots that had appeared from squeezing her eyes so tightly together.

"_Primus_…" The mech grumbled, putting a hand up to touch his forehead and shaking his head, "…what am I supposed to _do_ with that girl? She's so slaggin' _pushy_ about things…I don't know how Blurr can deal with it." He mumbled, talking to himself quietly except when he added emphasis to certain words. He paused a moment, suddenly picking up an energy signature and narrowing his optics, turning to look at where it was radiating from.

When he saw her his spark froze briefly, only to overheat and cause him to stumble back. He gripped the side of his bed to keep his balance – last thing they needed was a mech causing some commotion inside the base. His optics shifted from left to right and back again, as if he was searching for something to help him out of the situation.

When nothing came, he turned back to the girl and looked at her, noticing the dark pink flush that had gathered on her cheeks. He couldn't help raising an optic ridge briefly before shaking it off and hesitating, reaching out a digit towards her so she could shake it.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Adair. I must apologize for not being there when you awoke; I was talking to our Autobot leader back on Cybertron." He failed to mention that he had taken the chance as a way to find an escape so he wouldn't have to be there when she awoke and saw him in all his spark-heated glory.

He shook the thought off when he felt her soft hand touch his finger, and her gentle digits wrap firmly against it. He could feel his spark reaching maximum potential and he flinched, reaching his hand back and in his sudden movement causing her to stumble forward, releasing his digit.

"My apologies once again, Miss Adair." He paused, smiling nervously beneath his faceplate, "N-Name's Jetfire." He stumbled over his words, his spark and wires finally beginning to settle back into their normal state. _"Primus, this is bad…"_ He thought, looking at the confused girl.

"Uh…yeah." She smiled, shrugging his previous motion off, "Just call me Rosaline. Nice to meet you, Jetfire." Her smile widened into a grin and she looked him over, her eyes widening suddenly.

Jetfire noticed her expression and looked down at himself, wondering what was wrong. He looked back up briefly to see her waving her hand and shaking her head, causing his main processor to groan in confusion.

"No, no, there's nothing wrong. I just…have a question." She glanced away sheepishly before turning back to look at him, her cheeks reddening and giving her a warm glow.

"Ask me anything you like." He replied honestly, glad that she hadn't been trying to find his faults. That was the last thing he needed – his sparkmate _rejecting_ him.

"Tell me…what do you transform into?"

Jetfire, not seeing any relevance in the question, shrugged his large shoulders and replied quickly.

"I am what humans call a space shuttle. I am the main method of transportation when Mini-Cons are located on other planets, such as Mars."

Rosaline held her breath, eyes widening. She brought her hands up to her lips and exhaled slowly, her cheeks releasing some of the red hue they had acquired. She looked away in embarrassment, finally realizing she had been staring and felt her eyes prickle up with tears of joy.

Jetfire stared at her with confused optics. "Rosaline, my sensors indicate that you are about to leak lubricants from your optics. Are you feeling well, or shall I take you to Red Alert?" He asked, using his 'second-in-command' words so she'd know he was being serious.

"No, I'm fine." She replied, her pitch slightly higher than normal as she waved a hand at him. She could feel a chuckle escape her lips, followed by a couple more which eventually turned into laughs. She could feel Jetfire's gaze on her and she turned, blinking away a few tears and moving her arms to rest back at her sides.

"I've just…well, my dream job has always been to an astronaut." She could feel her cheeks getting hotter, "I love space, and I've always dreamt of going up there some day, to explore planets and learn." She smiled, turning her head to the side slightly, "Sorry if I worried you, I've just never seen a space shuttle up close before; or, at least…someone that can transform into one."

Jetfire could feel relief wash over his mainframe as he stared at her, smiling inwardly. So, she loved space, huh? Then he was going to give her the _time_ of her _life._

* * *

Alexis could feel herself gripping the seat she was strapped into with surprising might. She could feel the inside of the Sukhoi Su-35 plane rumble as it began to lift off, and she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head so hard that she was sure she was going to make herself pass out.

After a moment, she felt her body become light like air and she relaxed, eyes opening slightly to reveal a bright and cloud-filled sky. Her eyes widened from their narrowed position and she let out a loud gasp, noticing that even still they were rising above, past and through clouds toward a higher altitude.

Her jaw dropped and she chuckled lightly, her ears popping from how fast and high they were going. Her hands released the seat and moved on to the harness, her fingers wrapping securely around it as she watched the clouds breeze by with ease.

She let out a startled scream when the aircraft suddenly jolted and tilted to the side briefly, before turning completely to be upside down and then just as easily returning to its upright position. The girl whipped her head to look at the green screen in front of her, glaring at it.

"Starscream!"

The jet chuckled, engine rumbling lowly as he made his descent. Once they breached past the clouds he began to slow down, much to the relief of the girl in the cockpit.

"Were you scared, Alexis?"

The girl glared at the screen, sticking her tongue out in a childish manner. "Of course not!" She retorted, scoffing, "You just surprised me."

She turned her head, before letting out a yelp when he sped up to perform a barrel roll. She glared at the screen when they were upright again, trying to keep her lips from curving up into a smile. When she couldn't, she looked away and used the short locks of hair in an attempt to cover up the warm gesture, gripping the harness tightly.

"Relax, Alexis Anderson. You won't fall out, I give you my word."

Alexis turned, raising her gaze and setting it on the green screen. She reached out a hand, resting her fingertips on it gently and caressing it, assuming that the screen was where Starscream watched her from.

"I trust you, Starscream. But where are we going?"

The latter simply tilted his right wing slightly, turning away from the daylight of the sun and to the darker part of the planet, waiting for her to look up.

"To the stars."

* * *

Saber looked up at the large screen, hearing loud, Autobot-sized footsteps behind her. She turned to see Blurr there, and smiled up at him, tilting her head. "Hey. How was your nap?"

The field commander merely stared at her, shaking his head. "Cybertronians don't _nap_, Saber Anderson. But to answer your question, my recharge went quite well." He responded, smiling inwardly at her scoff and the human gesture of rolling her eyes. He leant forward to pick her up, bringing her close to his face and reaching out a free digit, caressing the side of her face warmly and speaking in a hushed tone.

"How did your talk with Jetfire go?"

The girl merely smiled, glancing away in an attempt to hide her and Jetfire's secret from him.

"It went great. He's probably talking to Rosaline right now."

The mech narrowed his optics at her, not pleased with her answer but rubbing her back gently nonetheless. He didn't hear the warning beep of the communications computer, and barely registered the footsteps entering the room until it was too late.

Jazz shifted his weight to the side, clicking his tongue and shaking his head, pointing a thumb towards the hallway. "If you two wanna get it on you better do it in Blurr's room."

Saber blushed at his words, shaking her head and waiting for Blurr to set her down. She watched said mech glare at Jazz, ready to say something witty but holding himself back from doing so.

The second-in-command moved to stand next to Saber, reaching over and talking into her ear. "If you ask me, the mech needs it. Blurr's been on his human female's _period_ since he was a sparkling."

Blurr moved, ready to land one on the stylish 'bot's visor but froze, looking up at the screen. He raised an optic ridge when he saw it, but eventually his smirk was visible even in his optics.

"Turn around, Jazz."

The latter hesitated briefly before doing so, staring at the live feed of the outside of the base. His visor almost shattered from what he saw; an F-4 Phantom, green and pink in color, and within a second's notice of transforming.

"Oh _SLAG_!" He flinched, almost as if he had been hit by something, or, rather, some_one_. He looked around anxiously, freezing when the feed outside was replaced by a message from the Autobot headquarters back on Cybertron.

"_Soldiers,_

_I have sent Iris to aid you on Earth. I trust her to keep everything under control, if it hasn't already been. She'll help keep Jazz in line. Sorry old friend, but you know you need her._

_-Optimus Prime"_

Jazz shifted uncomfortably, and he pushed a button for the message to go away. He watched as the Phantom began to shift and transform, revealing a strong, petite femme.

"_Frag it_, why didn't Prime warn me?" He moved a hand to rub the back of his neck, staring at the screen that revealed a femme that was growing more and more impatient by the second.

Blurr chuckled, pointing at the screen. He glanced at a confused Saber before turning back to Jazz, laughter in his words. "Aren't you going to go greet her? She's getting impatient."

Jazz shifted again before nodding, "You're right. Better not keep her waitin'." He transformed into his vehicle mode and raced to the entrance she was at, waiting for the doors to open before transforming again and walking out to her, holding his arms out.

The two still inside the base merely watched as the femme set her hands on her hips, obviously scolding Jazz. She held up a hand to stop him from talking before walking past, grabbing his arm and dragging him along inside.

Once they were in, Saber looked up at the femme, who was the same height as Jazz. Her lips curled up into a smile and she held a hand out, shaking the fembot's finger before glancing over at Jazz, blinking twice.

Blurr, seeing as how she was still confused, smiled beneath his faceplate and turned to the femme. "Welcome to the Earth team, Iris." He extended a hand for her to shake, nodding once before turning to look at Saber. "Saber, meet Iris - Jazz's sparkmate."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hahaha, I had fun writing that! Oh, and Iris is a transformer that I made up – or, rather, one of my best friends made up. She's a Jazzbot lover, so I told her to make me a character profile and I'd include her in it! Iris is going to be a fun one to write, seeing as how she's going to be the one keeping Jazz in line. It was kind of a bad introduction of her but I tried! XD And don't worry, even though Iris is here Jazz isn't going to lose his Jazz-ness. Rather, she's going to aid it and add more humor to the story, woot!

Anyway, as you can figure there's going to be more couple romance coming up! I'm trying to brainstorm on what exactly I want to do with Jetfire and Rosaline (AKA JetxRose), but I'm sure I'll think of something.

Thanks for waiting on my update, guys! Sorry the chappie was kinda short, but my head started hurting toward the end and that's never a good thing, as you all may know. XD As always, I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can!

Until then, everyone!


	11. Feel

**Author's Note**: Woo! I'm in a writing mood, and it's excellent! I can only hope that the creative juices in my brain spill onto my writing, haha! On to reviews!

**Nola1**: Done and done, sweetie!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: Yeah, I have some plans for Jetfire and Rosaline; it's going to be fun. And I thought it'd be nice to add that line; Jazz can be pretty blunt about certain things sometimes, hehe! Iris and Jazz are going to be an amusing couple to write, for sure.

**Azura Soul Reaver**: That's right! That mech's going to be whipped into shape, haha!

**DarkMizar**: Haha, I know what you mean. :P Wow, good job! I'm proud! And JetxRose has some stuff comin' up, I promise!

**blood shifter**: If only Blurr could fly! Maybe someday though, someday…

**Mistress Megatron**: Yay! How was your trip?

Yeah, I was thinking about that, and he'll be revealed later! He's going to be a jerk…kinda like Sideways was!

Thanks! I thought about what Starscream would say to her and all of a sudden, that popped into my head and I had to put it down! I'm glad you liked it! And I don't think you'd be the only one voting for an extreme make-out scene…which, I must admit, you'll probably get!

Thanks for reviewing, everyone!

P.S.: Unfortunately, I don't own Transformers. I will, however, soon own a Transformers decal I customized for my BlackBerry!

* * *

Saber sat outside, in one of the swings that she and Red Alert had made for entertainment. She was in a nice, wooded part of the base – toward the back, and close to where she had spoken to Jetfire about his 'predicament'. She began to think more and more about Rosaline and what kind of person she was, and how she would aid Jetfire with his struggles; the more she thought about it, the more she saw them being together.

It didn't take her long to think further into the past and back to when she had first learned about the Autobots – it seemed like such a long time ago but it had been two years, hadn't it? Or had it been more? She couldn't really remember.

She _did_ remember the feeling she got when she looked at Blurr for the first time; a feeling unfamiliar and confusing, which wasn't aided by his actions. She hated him, she liked him, she didn't like him – it had been like a rollercoaster.

She sighed, eyes moving to look at the soft grass and smiling nonetheless. She didn't regret a thing, not one thing, from what she had shared with the Autobots. She thought about her sister suddenly and her eyes looked up, toward the horizon where she assumed her sister and Starscream to be. The ex 'con had surprisingly told her about his plan to take Alexis into the air and, even more surprisingly, Saber had agreed. She couldn't help but imagine the look on her younger sister's face when she saw the stars – would Starscream go even further, and allow her to see the Earth from space? She didn't know, but her heart was content. She knew that up there, her sister would have the time of her life and never, ever regret it. This made her happy.

She felt her eyes prickle with tears and she sniffed, reaching up with the cuff of her jacket to wipe any residue of water that might have spilt. She coughed out a laugh, smiling and shutting her eyes briefly, listening to the sounds. The sun had been setting for a few minutes now and it was almost gone, leaving the stars in the sky to twinkle and dance with excitement. She hadn't heard the rumble of an engine or the footsteps crunching the grass, but she did feel when someone's hands touched her lower back and pushed her gently, causing the swing to move and groan gently against the metal.

She looked up with blurred hazel eyes suddenly, feeling another push and smiling a bit, trying to turn and see who was there. When she was in mid-air she flipped her head around, looking over her shoulder and trying to see past the locks of rich, brown hair that toppled onto her face.

When she saw him her heart fluttered; her eyes softened against his crimson ones and she gripped the chains on the swing tightly, keeping her gaze on him as gravity brought her closer. She barely registered the fact that he had his arms outstretched, but by the way her heart was beating she could tell she was in his arms. Her legs slid off the swing with ease, caught by a strong arm that helped her settle them onto the ground, before being pushed against a strong, muscular chest.

She exhaled softly, her breath turning into mist as she moved her hands to rest on his chest, grasping his synthetic shirt tightly. She felt a pair of strangely warm hands grab her cheeks, caressing them with his thumbs while the owner stared into her eyes, captivated by the way they sparkled in the dim moonlight.

"Saber…" He said this in such a menacing, possessive tone that said girl blinked, before he caught her cherry-red lips in his passionate kiss.

Saber, although surprised, complied easily and shut her eyes, moving her hands up from his chest to his shoulders. Her right hand reached up and dug itself into his chocolate-colored locks, savoring not only the feel of his realistic hair, but massaging his scalp gently as well.

She felt one of his hands move to the back of her neck and the other snake its way down to her waist, holding her possessively and pressing her closer against him. It wouldn't be too much longer before she'd have to come up for air, but _dear god_ she wished she didn't have to.

Almost as if sensing her body's plea he moved back slowly, allowing her to catch her breath briefly before going in a second time – this time for two gentle pecks on her lips before pulling back again, looking into her hazel eyes.

"Blurr…"

Her voice was strained; she was obviously out of breath, he could tell by the way her chest heaved up and down strongly. He rested his forehead against hers and allowed their noses to touch, shutting his eyes briefly to take in her sweet smell before opening them again and mirroring her gaze.

"Yes?"

Saber withdrew her bottom lip between her teeth, gently nibbling on it and savoring the bittersweet taste he had left. She didn't even know it was possible for him to produce saliva in his holoform…but so he was, and she wasn't going to question it.

Her attention moved back to the fact he was still waiting and she blushed, her cheeks becoming as red as her lips.

"I…love you."

Blurr's eyes traveled to her mouth as she spoke those words; he watched the way her lips moved closely and logged the memory deep into his main processor, for any type of comfort he might need later. His gaze moved back up to her eyes and he noticed something in them; something that had been there when they had first locked eyes in the base when the Autobots had returned from a mission. He saw that same burning fire – the fire of passion that had set his spark alight and nearly offlined him from the sudden, non-physical impact.

His human lungs contracted, causing him to take in a sharp breath and soften his crimson eyes at the female in front of him. He honestly didn't know why the AllSpark had chosen him to be paired up with Saber, but he didn't have any complaints – she was everything he had always wanted in one convenient, stubborn package.

His lips curled up into a smile and he moved his hands to her cheeks, noticing the worried expression on her face. She had obviously been worrying about what he had been thinking about her in those seconds that passed, but he noticed that when he touched her she relaxed and her eyes calmed with ease.

"And I you, Saber Anderson." He paused, not being able to do anything but smile at her gleeful expression, "You own my spark, and I'm glad the AllSpark chose you to be my other half." He moved his head, pressing his lips against her cheek before moving them to her ear, his whisper audible only to her. "I love you with every fiber of my being, my darling sparkmate."

Saber nearly melted at his words; she couldn't believe that Blurr could be so romantic! Her heart must've skipped three beats when he spoke, and she was surprised that she wasn't going into shock from the way his voice sounded – strong, wanting, husky. She gulped, managing to move her trembling hands to his shoulders, before adjusting her arms to wrap around his neck and resting her cheek against his shoulder, grinning. Her eyes shut and her lips relaxed into a pleased smile, before she spoke again.

"When'd you get so romantic?"

The latter chuckled, picking her up bridal-style and walking over to his vehicle form, opening the door. He set her in the passenger's seat, looking at her and moving his hand to rest on her cheek when her eyelids opened.

"When I found you." He replied simply, leaning forward and brushing his lips against her forehead. He pulled back with a smile, hologram flickering twice before disappearing completely, while the engine simultaneously roared to life. The door shut on its own and the car turned to face the base, speeding towards it at a pace that Saber was already used to.

In the distance, a figure watched with contempt.

"Who would've known that the _great_ Blurr would grow feelings for a fleshling?" He spoke the word with disgust, narrowing his optics before transforming and backing out of the woods, engine roaring as he made his way out of the huddle of trees. "Pathetic. I'll get rid of him and his useless organic play toy…" He paused, his engine rumbling lowly as he growled, "And then I'll come after the others."

* * *

Jazz stood close by the newest addition to the team, who also happened to be his sparkmate.

"_Slag it Prime…I'll get back at you when I get back to Cybertron."_ He thought, watching as she looked around the base with curiosity. His optics brightened with an idea and he suddenly walked towards her, getting her attention and grinning widely at her.

"C'mon, beautiful. How about I give you a nice stroll around the base? I'll show you my quarters; it's where the _magic_ happens." He grabbed her hand, pulling her along with a bit of effort, considering she was a pretty strong femme.

Iris pursed her lips to the side, her silver optics flickering as she looked at him. As much as she hated his joking attitude sometimes, she couldn't help but admire him. He was Optimus' _second-in-command_, and she was proud to be at his side. She loved Jazz, loved him with all her spark, and she was glad that the AllSpark had destined them to be together. She had a tough time expressing her feelings out in the open, but she had a feeling that her mate knew just how she felt about him, without her needing to say the words.

She tore her gaze away from him to look around, surprised by how magnificent the Earth base was. It was nothing close to the one on Cybertron, of course, but she couldn't help but be amazed by Red Alert's work here on this base. _"Training under Ratchet must've really helped."_ She thought, remembering the Chief Medical Officer back on Cybertron and smiling a bit; Iris had seen a fair share of battles in her time, and she had always been sent to Ratchet – the old 'bot had always grumbled at the crumpled state she came into his sick bay in, but he had fixed her up with ease so she could get back on the battlefield.

She stumbled and accidentally bumped into Jazz when he stopped abruptly, causing her to look up and glance into the optics hidden behind his visor. Her spark jumped at the look he gave her and then again when he reached up to rest his strong hand on her cheek.

"You know you'll always be my main squeeze." He spoke, flashing her a grin.

Iris couldn't help but chuckle; she was about to turn her face away but stopped when he reached over with his other hand and set it on her cheek as well, turning her face to him.

He leant forward slowly, pressing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss, which was surprising for his usual tough-mannered way. He moved one of his hands to rest on her lower back, pulling her close and parting the kiss only when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey hey, no making out in the hallway." Jetfire spoke, waving his free hand at the two as he passed by.

Jazz smirked, catching a glimpse of the small human Rosaline in his other hand. After they had turned the corner he looked back at Iris, winking an optic behind his visor. "Don't worry. He's just jealous 'cause he can't express his feelings towards his girl."

Iris' optics widened; she pulled back slightly from Jazz's embrace and stared at him. "You mean…?"

"That's right, shawty."

Iris's shoulders slumped at the word and she crossed her arms, optics dimming. "Don't call me that."

"Why not, sexy?"

She let out a groan, gently pushing him away and throwing her hands in the air.

"…baby?"

"Ugh, why couldn't you just be normal?!" She exclaimed, letting out a frustrated huff and turning on her heel, walking off in the other direction.

"Where ya goin', beautiful? I didn't get to show you my stud pad!" Jazz added, running after her.

* * *

Rosaline couldn't help but gulp as she was carried. Her mind couldn't fathom the possibility that she was actually sitting in the hand of a giant robot, who _transformed_ into a space shuttle, and the fact that they were going outside to talk. She glanced up at the latter and smiled when she saw his golden optics shining brightly; she turned her gaze away quickly when she felt another blush creeping onto her face.

She glanced up when a gust of air fluttered her hair, causing locks of it to block her line of vision. She heard the crickets in the forest nearby and sighed; she had always loved nature and strove to preserve it.

She watched Blurr pass by in vehicle mode, speeding towards the base. She barely caught a hint of a tired Saber inside, which caused her to look back up at her companion and part her lips to speak.

"Hey Jetfire?"

The latter paused a moment, looking down at her and trying hard to remain composed under her gaze. Her large, cerulean-colored eyes caught the light of the moon and, in turn, twinkled in a way that made his spark grow warmer in its casing.

"Yes?"

"Blurr and Saber…I know he's her guardian, but…" She paused, hesitant to ask. When she felt Jetfire sit down and rest his back against a tree she cleared her throat, forcing a nervous smile onto her face as he brought her up to eye-level. "…is there something more?" She asked quietly, looking up behind curled lashes.

Jetfire could feel his free hand tense slightly, before he relaxed his body and nodded once. "Yes, Rosaline…they're sparkmates."

"Sparkmates?"

"I believe I can safely assume that in your culture, they would be called…soul mates, with a few differences, of course."

Rosaline waited a moment before speaking again, taking in the information. "But…how? And what are the differences?"

Jetfire smiled at her curiosity, "In my planet, there is an object called the AllSpark – it was lost long ago, but it was what created all of us. Each Cybertronian has a spark, which is similar to your human heart, that indicates them when they have found their mate. Some indications are more obvious than others." He paused, watching her expression grow from slightly confused to profoundly interested, "It is believed that the AllSpark chose every Cybertronian's sparkmates before they were even brought online."

Rosaline took in a breath, her eyes widening. She had almost gotten too lost in his voice to pay attention to his words, but she had quickly snapped herself back to reality and opened her mouth to speak again.

"Oh. I see." She paused, tilting her head slightly and bringing her knees up to meet her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "So…have you met your sparkmate yet?" She asked, feeling her heart racing as she waited for his answer. _"Why is it…that I'm feeling like this? This has never happened before…and I just met him! But I just feel…like this is right…"_

Jetfire flinched slightly, optics flickering as he let out a nervous chuckle. _"Slag. It's against my honor code to lie, but…"_

"I…suppose you could say that."

She nodded, looking away briefly and deciding that she shouldn't ask any more questions about his personal life, unless he spoke first. She shifted a bit in his hand and looked back up at him, smiling.

"So, you're my guardian…what do you want to know?"

Jetfire smiled beneath his faceplate, looking down at her. _"Thank Primus she didn't ask me who my sparkmate was…"_ He thought, pausing to lift his other hand and motion it towards her, gently. "Anything you'd like to tell me."

The girl grinned, letting go of her legs and allowing them to stretch in his palm. "Well…I'm twenty. I was born into a middle-class family in Arkansas. I have an older brother whom I haven't heard from in a while…" She blinked, "I moved here not too long ago with my parents, but I moved out of their house now that I'm in college." She took a breath, trying to think of something else, "I'm majoring in spatial sciences and technology…and I plan to be an astronaut someday." She looked back up at him, trying to hide her blush from being exposed in the moonlight. "How's that?"

Jetfire logged all of her words into his memory banks, nodding once. "Perfect. What would you like to know about me?"

Rosaline's smile widened into a grin. "Anything you'd like to tell me."

* * *

Alexis let out a breath, her green eyes widening as she stared out the window of the jet and admired the stars. She reached out with her hand, pressing her fingertips against the cold, glass-like material as if she could touch them.

"Oh Starscream…" She whispered, ignoring the fact that the temperature was dropping as they moved higher and higher out of Earth's atmosphere. She could see her breath when she sighed, and she moved back slightly from the window to look at the screen in front of her.

"We're not done just yet." He replied, increasing his speed so she wouldn't have to be cold for an extended period of time. He was sure that Red Alert would have his aft when he returned to base, considering that there was no proper heating system installed so that Alexis would be insulated inside the cockpit. She didn't seem to mind, though – she was too busy admiring the same stars that he had when he had first arrived, once he had been on the moon. They hadn't seemed so beautiful then – he was under Megatron's control and even with his Decepticon comrades he still felt alone. But now that Alexis was here admiring them with him, they were more beautiful than ever – at least, until compared to her.

He had to admit that Alexis was the most beautiful femme ever to have passed his optics; to others she might seem plain but he didn't care – she was his and nothing was going to change that. He had been separated from her more than once to have learned the lesson the humans held so close to their hearts: you never know what you've got until it's gone, and by Primus he had learned that lesson hard.

He returned his attention to her when he felt her fingertips touch the screen; he figured it was out of curiosity but when he saw the look in her emerald eyes he couldn't help but smile. She seemed so entranced, so in-love that he couldn't believe that her feelings were directed towards him. He had been betrayed too many times to know when someone was being honest, and it warmed his spark to know that Alexis was being real.

"Look out of the left side." He spoke quietly, waiting for her to turn before watching her expression.

"Oh – my – _god_, Starscream…it's so beautiful…" She uttered softly, gasping briefly when she felt someone wrap their arms around her. She turned her head slightly to see Starscream's holoform holding her tightly in his grasp, and she smiled warmly and looked up at him.

"Thank you…" She whispered, closing her eyes when she felt his lips graze her neck. She could feel his breath tickle her skin and she smiled, opening her eyes briefly to look at him. Emerald eyes met with crimson ones when he looked up, and Alexis allowed her head to rest back against his shoulder, feeling her back pressed against his chest. She inclined her head toward him, smiling and shutting her eyes when she saw him move closer.

A few seconds passed before their lips locked, and she tensed slightly from the feeling, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Her hand struggled to grab something and the closest object was the synthetic material of his jeans, which she took hold of loosely as she pressed herself closer against him.

When the two parted she let out a soft sigh, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to catch her breath. Starscream had not only stolen her heart, but he had very easily taken her breath away as well. She smiled not only with her lips but with her eyes, head still cradled against his sturdy shoulder.

"Starscream…" She reached a hand up, setting it against his cheek and softening her eyes when he spoke, his voice raspy but familiar.

"Yes, Alexis?"

"I love you…"

The Seeker knew his spark was getting to the breaching point, and the words only brought him closer to reaching maximum potential once again. He leant forward, pressing his lips against her soft ones as they descended, headed back to base. He wasn't having much trouble keeping control of his alternate form as well as his holoform, but somewhere deep in his spark he knew trouble was coming. However, he decided not to ruin the moment and instead continued to kiss the fragile girl in his arms, holding her as close as he could before drawing back, opening his eyes to lock on to hers.

"I love you as well, my Alexis."

* * *

Now he understood why the Decepticons had used the surface of the moon as their base. Apparently Starscream hadn't noticed his presence while he had been in the air, but he did recognize the fact that there was a fleshling inside of the Seeker's cockpit, causing him to grunt in disgust.

"Starscream has gone soft. I'd _never_ let one of those abominable creatures dirty _my_ insides." He hissed, reaching up to touch his left audio receptor and opening a link to his comrade on Earth.

"**Starscream has joined the Autobots, and he has grown fond of one of the organics. He shall be targeted first."**

There was brief static as the latter received his message before responding.

"**Order received. Blurr has also allowed himself to get close to one of the Earthlings."**

The Cybertronian standing on the moon began to chuckle lowly, flexing his digits maliciously.

"**You may have that one, but make sure I get to see the look in his optics as you tear her apart. I'll take Starscream's little fleshbag…as for the others…"**

"**Another Earthling has joined their team. Also, designations Jetfire, Red Alert, and Jazz are on base, as well as a femme – designation Iris."**

"**A femme…" **He took a few steps forward, glancing in the direction of Earth. He smirked, **"How **_**very**_** interesting…"**

"**She is Jazz's sparkmate."**

"**No matter. We'll wait for the others to arrive before attacking."**

"**Second order received. Link will be severed in three seconds."**

He didn't wait for his comrade to sever the link before doing it himself, turning and kicking up a bit of moon dust. He smirked, optics narrowing devilishly as he picked up one of the rocks, glancing at it briefly. His smirk faded off as he crushed the rock in his grip, "Those fools…they won't know what hit them."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Soo…more romantic stuff in this chappie, huh? I'm excited. XD I'm still setting the stage and getting the enemies in order so I know which ones I want to come into the picture…any suggestions? I know you guys have some favorite antagonists! Hahaha, let me know which ones you think of and I'll see whether or not they'll be good to include in the story.

I'm glad I got to update tonight, seeing as how I'm going to be busy all day tomorrow with work and summer band. Sigh…

Anyway, thanks for reading, and until next chapter!


	12. Unwelcome

**Author's Note**: AHHH! I've been so busy lately it's getting crazy…my jaw hurts because I went to the dentist earlier today. I'm supposed to be getting braces, and my wisdom teeth are growing in which is certainly _not_ a good thing. Sigh…

Anyway, on to reviews!

**blood shifter**: Well it's not Sideways, I can promise you. He got killed by Unicron a few chapters back, but we do have some new baddies coming into the picture.

**Mistress Megatron**: I know! I like the word husky…plus, it fit Blurr's voice when I imagined it so why not?

I have to agree, Blurr and Saber had a pretty intimate moment, which is always nice for couples, no? Starscream and Alexis did have their own little moment, but it's too bad somebody knows about the two couples…thankfully not Jetfire and Rosaline, though, right?

I love writing Jazz! I just think of one of the most ghetto people someone could meet and integrate that into his language. Poor Iris…

I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation! Kids throwing up though? That makes me shiver. And your gas prices are already at 4.04? Ah! Here in Arkansas it's about 3.59.

Thank you for your compliments. Here are cookies for both of us! Yay!

I think I'll use one or two of those three baddies that you mentioned…mwahahaha! I mean…yay?

Cookies!

**DarkMizar**: Aww, I'm sorry! You can always read them when you come back though, right? Greece sounds exciting, I'm sure you'll have a good time!

**Nola1**: Here's your update!

**Azura Soul Reaver**: Thank you! I hope I can keep you interested!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I noticed that! Maybe he just knows when to step in at the wrong time? I don't know, he can be a pretty mysterious 'bot when he wants to be, haha! And that's a good question…I'll think about who'll catch those two.

Thank you! And yes, here come the baddies!

**MidnightEmerge**: Aww, thank you! – For reviewing and complimenting, as well as taking the time to read my work.

The baddies are coming, I can promise you that! And as for your plan…um…I'm not telling you where I live now, mwahaha! Unless you can trick me into doing it?

P.S.: My Transformers decal is supposed to come in soon, yay!

* * *

Saber stood up from her desk, staring at the laptop in front of her. Her eyes darted to the left and she looked at the phone; they moved to the right and she spotted a few pieces of paper scattered on the corner. She let out a sigh before pushing her chair further back, stretching and letting out a yawn.

Her hazel orbs drifted slowly to the window; her car was the only one left illuminated by the lamp post. The moonlight cast a dark shadow on the right of the vehicle, stretching it into strange proportions and causing Saber to blink twice. She shook her head and turned back to look at the clock on the laptop: 11:56.

Her bottom lip puffed out into a pout and she shrugged, reaching a hand and closing the cover of the laptop. She grabbed her purse off the carpeted floor and slung it over her shoulder, walking to the exit and slipping her shoes back on.

She'd told Blurr that she'd drive herself to work; she knew she was going to be staying late – considering what she'd missed, not to mention she had a meeting in the middle of the day – and she knew the 'bot wouldn't want to stay in the parking lot from nine in the morning to 11:56 at night.

She yawned once more as she shut the light off in the room and made her way towards the dimly lit elevator, pressing a few buttons. She waited for the doors to open before stepping in and resting her back against the glass, reaching her head back and shutting her eyes. When the elevator made a 'ding' noise she flinched; she shook her head again and rubbed her eyes awake. Her shoes made loud, echoing footsteps in the building as she made her way out, causing her to shudder.

She stepped into the cold, February air and grabbed the jacket that had been resting on top of her purse. She set the purse down, put the jacket on, then picked the purse back up again and looked at the alarm system on the outside of the door. She flipped the lid open and pressed a series of numbers, watching quietly as a few infrared lasers flickered on before disappearing.

She let out a tired groan as she turned around, heading towards her car and taking the keys out of her purse. She pressed a button on the keychain, causing the vehicle to turn on automatically and beep twice, flashing the headlights and tail lights. She entered the car without another word and buckled her seatbelt, pursing her lips to the side and attempting to blink away the sleep in her eyes as she began to drive home.

She never saw it coming. Fifteen minutes into her drive home a car pulled up tailing behind her, headlights off and completely cloaked to the human eye. It accelerated, taking advantage of her worn-out physical condition as well as the fact that her ears were being filled with music.

The vehicle moved closer, ramming into the back of her car with a force that caused her head to slam into the steering wheel, despite her seatbelt. The airbags inside the car deployed and while they were, the car rammed its right corner against the back left corner of Saber's car, causing her to spin a few times before ramming the passenger's side into a concrete-based pole.

All that was heard was Saber's muffled scream before the car died completely and gas began to leak out of the bottom, where the tank was. Saber, now unconscious, didn't notice the car turn on its headlights and drive off, as if nothing had ever happened.

* * *

Blurr awoke suddenly from stasis; his spark was growing colder by the second and when he thought back on Saber, his fists clenched. In vehicle mode, he performed a thermal scan of the house and only found Alexis' signature, who seemed to be coming online.

He cursed silently in Cybertronian before turning his engine over, hearing the familiar rumble and moving from the back to the front of the house, pausing when he heard the front door open.

"Can I come with you?"

Blurr hesitated, looking at the younger Anderson and thinking about what Starscream would do to him if even one hair on her head went missing. The Seeker had been assigned night duty at the base so he hadn't been able to come home with the two, but Blurr knew that if he had been there he wouldn't have let her go.

Blurr was another story, so in response to her question he popped his door open and waited patiently for her to climb in; when she was safely buckled in he drove off, almost as if knowing by instinct where to go.

They found her dangerously close to a cliff. Blurr wondered if this had been the same cliff that Rosaline had been attacked at, but the question was shunned aside quickly when he saw the condition of Saber's vehicle. He waited for Alexis to climb out before transforming, watching the young girl run up to her sister's car with widened, horror-filled eyes.

"Saber!" She screamed, ignoring the strong gust of wind that tousled her hair into her face. She ran up to the car, pressing her fingers against the cracked driver's side window and seeing her sister's face pressed against the air bag.

She attempted to open the door but it was jammed; she looked up at Blurr whom, without saying anything, leant down and tried to be strong as he plucked the door open and stared at the sight.

Saber still had her seatbelt on; there was blood smeared on the air bag as well as her arms. She had a large gash on her forehead, and fresh blood continued to pour down her pretty face, giving her an ominous look. The side next to her was pushed in – it was lucky that nobody had been with her; otherwise they would've died on impact.

Blurr clenched his fist, performing a scan on his mate. He sighed relief internally when he saw that she was still breathing, but winced when he noticed all of her injuries. Her legs weren't damaged seriously but they had bruises and various cuts; her arms had cuts as well but weren't as bruised as her legs. Her forehead had a gash but other than a slight concussion she would be fine, but he'd need to take her to Red Alert to be sure.

He opened a private link with the medic, who was mid-stasis, and awoke him instantly.

"**There's been an accident. I'll be at base in ten earth minutes."**

He didn't wait for a reply; he simply passed the message on to Starscream so the ex-'con could pass it on to Red Alert if he didn't awaken. Blurr had a good feeling the medic would so he didn't fret.

He turned his attention to his tattered mate and reached inside gently, using Alexis' help to remove her from the car. He clenched his jaw when her body simply lay limp in his arms; his Saber, his _beautiful_, _lovely_ mate seemed like no more than a rag doll as he held her. At a glance she would seem dead, but the scans he had performed earlier told him otherwise.

He looked at the younger Anderson and noticed the look of panic and horror on her face; tears were streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall and she would've looked beautiful had this been a happy situation. The look in her eyes told him that she believed her sister was gone.

"Saber is alive, Alexis." He could see the girl visibly relax, until he spoke again, "However, she does have many injuries that we need to take care of. There are no broken bones but many bruises and loss of blood, so we must get to Red Alert immediately." He saw the despair in the young woman's eyes and he spoke again, "She will be fine, Alexis. And when I find out who did this – they will pay _dearly_."

* * *

Saber awoke to the unfamiliar feeling of pain. Her body felt numb somehow, but simultaneously it was causing her such pain that she couldn't help but let out a tired groan, attempting to sit up.

When a hand gently pushed her back she blinked, trying to remove the blur in her eyes as she stared deep and hard at the person. She could eventually make out their facial features and recognized the girl as Rosaline, Jetfire's mate – the news that she still didn't know of, of course.

Saber shut her eyes briefly before speaking, trying to get the rasp out of her voice. _"God, I sound like Starscream…"_

"How long have I been out?"

The other girl hesitated a moment before speaking, seeming to glance up and look at something before replying.

"Four days."

The older Anderson's eyes widened, she shot up with such a quick force that she didn't even realize the pain until it all came crashing down like one giant, transformer-sized step.

The girl suddenly flopped back, her body was so sore from _god – knows – what_ that she couldn't even move. She arched her back gently – she'd be feeling better in a couple of hours, right?

Her answer came in the form of a white and blue mech, by the name of Red Alert.

"I suggest you don't move, Saber…your body is still recovering from the attack."

"But who attacked me?" She blurted out, reaching a sore arm up to touch her forehead, where some fresh bandages had been applied. Her eyes traveled lazily around the room and she sighed, turning slightly to see if she could spot Blurr.

"We don't really know. Blurr and the others are trying to get to the bottom of the situation; we have already alerted Optimus and he is sending some soldiers our way – we have taken yours and possibly Rosaline's attack as a warning." The medic paused, staring at Saber intently before nodding, "We are certain more Decepticons are out there, close by…but I don't believe all of them are on Earth just yet."

* * *

Iris stood outside with Jazz, arms crossed and her weight resting mainly on one side. The femme's bottom lip was pushed out slightly in a pout, but in actuality this was her 'thinking face', as she called it.

Jazz, always the 'cheerer-upper', slung an arm around her shoulder and flashed her a grin.

"C'mon, baby, you need to _relax_. Take things _slow._" He paused, nodding once before motioning towards the woods, "Stop and _smell_ the flowers." He waited a moment, optics dimming beneath his visor as he made the motion that he was sniffing the air. When he was done, he turned back to Iris and clenched his fist determinedly, optics beaming brightly beneath the visor.

"We'll beat any one of those Decepticreeps. They don't stand a chance – not to mention with a pissed-off Blurr on our side. They should've known better than to mess with his _mate_."

Iris nodded, bringing a hand up to her lips before shaking her head. "They're going to pay for what they did to her, and I have a feeling that Blurr is going to be the main one giving out their punishments…"

Jazz let go of her, moving to stand in front of her again. He grinned, nodding and crossing his arms. "That's right, shawty. Blurr's gonna take care of those little bitches."

Iris couldn't help but sigh inwardly at his human lingo, but she managed to smile anyway – at least, until a question suddenly popped into her mind.

"So…why do you wear that?" She asked, motioning to his visor.

Perplexed, Jazz adjusted the visor and paused a moment before replying, after looking up the correct urban words.

"These? They're my hater blockers, baby!" He smirked, "Plus, I always gotta be stylin', don't I?" He pointed to his visor, "_This_…is stylin'."

Iris stared at him, optics dimming. Had he really just said that?

"Jazz, I—" She hesitated, narrowing her optics slightly before smiling and leaning forward, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She pulled away, patting his shoulder twice before heading back towards the base, pretending to whistle a tune as if nothing had happened.

Jazz, completely confused by her actions, simply stood there for a few seconds before turning around swiftly and running after Iris.

"Wait, baby! Where you goin', beautiful?!"

* * *

Jetfire stood in the communications room, his voice serious as he spoke with his leader.

"So you're saying that some Decepticons managed to leave Cybertron and are heading here…or could possibly already be here, on Earth?"

The leader's head nodded; behind him were Autobot analysts scurrying about, as well as some soldiers standing ready to defend. There were quite a few computer screens, most of them displaying Cybertronian symbols and maps, as well as the Autobot logo and descriptions of the maps or other information.

Rosaline popped her head in from the hallway, opening her mouth to speak. She closed it quickly when she heard Jetfire's voice and saw the person on the screen; as of yet she had not met Optimus Prime but she had heard much about him, and she felt safe to assume that the regal, proud figure on the screen was the leader everyone spoke fondly of. Her eyes softened, she brought her body in to the room completely and stood by the doorway, touching the wall with small fingers. Her left hand moved up to her face, and she allowed her fingers to trace the line of her lips as she listened, quiet.

"You're sending some troops here, right? I mean, we've got some soldiers here but we'll need extra protection with the humans around…" He paused, hesitant, "How many Decepticons escaped?"

The leader paused; his optic ridges seemed to furrow as he began to think back on the numbers and names.

"Three, at the least."

Jetfire nodded somberly, he was about to speak again when he noticed Optimus' gaze wasn't on him anymore, but rather the doorway. He followed his leader's line of vision to see Rosaline, and his spark heated up in an instant as his optics widened.

"Rosaline…you shouldn't be in here…"

The girl nodded, her usual rosy tint returning to her cheeks as she glanced away, nervous. "I know, but…I heard your voice and I wanted to ask you something…" She looked back up, lifting her hands up in a surrendering motion before taking a step back, "I'll leave, if you want me to. I'm sorry I interrupted."

The larger mech fretted, suddenly taking a step towards her and causing her to lose her balance from the unexpected move. He caught her in one hand with ease, raising her up to his eye level and smiling beneath the face mask.

"It's alright." He paused, turning her so she would be looking at the screen, "Rosaline…I'd like you to meet Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."

The younger girl's eyes widened, cheeks suddenly flaring red as she bowed her head in respect. "I-It is such an honor to meet you, Mr. Prime. I have heard so much about you."

The leader couldn't help but chuckle at her antics; he waited for her to look up again before waving his hand, in a reassuring manner. "Please, just call me Optimus." His optics seemed to soften as he looked at her, and he could visibly see the girl relax, "I see Jetfire has been taking care of you. It is a shame that you had to be brought into our ranks by such an unfortunate accident."

The girl smiled sheepishly; she reached a hand up to her neck and let out a nervous chuckle. "It's fine. I'm okay now, right?" She looked back up, beaming a smile at the leader and causing him to nod.

"Of that you are correct, Miss Adair." He paused, optics suddenly seeming to burn with rage, "But I promise you that we will find the Decepticon responsible for causing you pain. Jetfire has taken primary responsibility of the fact, as well as your health, and he wasn't trained to fail."

Rosaline had felt her cheeks start to return to their normal color, but when he spoke of Jetfire's concern she could feel them flaring up again. She nodded once, clearing her throat as she thought of a reply.

"Thank you…thank you both. Once again, I'm sorry for interrupting…I know these are matters way above my head." She smiled honestly, her eyes showing guilt for seemingly 'barging in' on their conversation.

The leader reached up a hand, as a sign of reassurance once more. "I assure you, Miss Adair, everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't have gotten to meet you had you not walked in, would I?" He smiled beneath his facial mask at her nod, "Now, I'll leave you two be. Jetfire," He paused, turning to the mech, "Reinforcements should arrive in a few Earth days. Keep me notified of your situation. Prime out."

The screen flickered twice before blacking out and giving Jetfire time to look at the girl in his hand.

"So, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

"Oh!" The young girl shifted, letting out a nervous laugh, "I was just going to ask you when I'd be able to meet your leader."

* * *

"Despicable humans." A voice suddenly growled, ignoring the scream of pain followed by the unfamiliar crunching sound of bones cracking.

The mech was crouched inside a forest, holding one of the home species of the planet in his hand. He watched something crawl down her cheeks from her eyes, twinkling in the moonlight, before grunting in disgust and opening his hand, allowing her body to land with a loud 'thud' on the grass and leaves below. He raised a foot, ready to squash her to earthen dust when he heard something to his right, which caused him to move back and get his laser gun ready.

When the object moved closer and revealed itself, he withdrew the weapon and stood straight, watching the slightly smaller transformer with his single optic.

The cone-headed Decepticon moved forward, seeming to glare at its comrade. He raised a digit and pointed up at the sky, where two planes were flying overhead – similar to Starscream's vehicle form. From behind him came the roar of an engine – one that the Autobots had heard before, and who was previously one of their own. The Autobot insignia with a slash mark was an easy giveaway, and as the vehicle transformed to reveal Wheeljack, the planes overhead suddenly followed suit and transformed in mid-air. The two planes, now in bipedal mode, landed with loud booms on the ground, leaving imprints of their arrival on the crushed grass beneath their feet.

"Thundercracker reporting." Came a sudden voice, breaking the still silence that had formed between the Decepticons. The latter suddenly moved to one knee, bowing his head to their new cone headed leader.

The other plane moved from one foot to the other, grinning childishly. "Skywarp rolled and ready to go!" He followed suit to the other Decepticon, moving to one knee and glancing up with one optic when his comrades weren't looking.

The vehicle looked at the two Seekers briefly before moving to one knee as well, bowing his head. "Wheeljack, ready to serve you…Lord Thrust."

The cone headed Decepticon suddenly cackled like a madman, his strange digits flexing quite a few times before he looked at the only standing Decepticon other than himself. "Aren't you going to _bow_ to your new leader, Shockwave?" He spat venomously, causing the Decepticons behind him to look up.

The military operations commander could feel a sly retort coming up through his vocal processor but he bit it back, his single optic dimming in annoyance. "That is completely irrelevant to our cause. I do not need to _bow_ to you, Thrust, in order to prove my allegiance…it will be proven through my tactics and plans."

Insulted, the 'new' Decepticon commander grunted in disapproval before shrugging him off, turning back to look at the mechs that were now standing.

"Alright, Decepticons…it's time to transform and get going!"

Skywarp, holding back a chuckle, opened a private radio link with Thundercracker and Wheeljack.

"**That's still not as catchy as Optimus' 'transform and roll out'…"**

The two Decepticons, not even bothering to look at him, responded simultaneously.

"…**you're a fraghead, Skywarp."**

The Decepticon, now wounded, let out an angry scoff before transforming and boosting his thrusters, speeding up and taking off into the air.

Thundercracker and Wheeljack looked at each other briefly before the Seeker transformed and followed his wing-brother, followed by Thrust.

Shockwave waited for them to leave before transforming into his vehicle mode, which he had picked up from one of the earthen military bases. He had been tempted to mimick Megatron and use a tank, but he had settled instead for a 4x4 Russian BTR-40 Armored Car. He had modified it effectively to meet his standards, which were very high. He had learned some of its history, and apparently the humans in America had captured one and taken it as their own.

He didn't bother to acknowledge Wheeljack as he sped off, engine rumbling quietly despite his size – as the military operations commander, he knew that surprise was key to winning a battle, just like it had been not long before when he had deliberately run into the girl walking along the street.

"_Stupid human femme." _He thought broodingly, heading in the direction of his fellow Decepticons.

Wheeljack, seeming to glare in the direction of Shockwave, was about to Transform when he spotted something moving out of the corner of his optic. Surprised, he aimed a weapon at the small figure until he realized it was a human girl – at which he withdrew the weapon and moved closer to examine.

"_Shockwave did a number on the femme."_ He thought almost bitterly as he looked at her. His old Autobot ways got the better of him as he picked her up in his fingers, carefully, and ignored the painful moan that came from the girl. He looked her over with his inexperienced eyes; he hadn't been programmed as a medic and he would never be interested in being one but he could still tell that she had been badly damaged. If she were to survive, she'd need a medic – and fast.

Ignoring his Decepticon instinct that told him to leave her there, he transformed and adjusted her into his back seat, driving in the same direction the Decepticons had. He could feel their signals fading as they retreated back to the moon base, but he figured he could come up with an excuse for his delay later – perhaps he had been trying to find a successful way to enter the Autobot base? Yes, that would cover it. But right now he had to focus on getting the girl Red Alert's help.

Breaking as many of the human speed limits as possible, he rushed to where Shockwave's coordinates indicated was the Autobot base. Once there, he managed to swerve through trees and bushes until reaching the back door, which he assumed to be locked with strong security.

"_No matter, I'm not here for them anyway."_ He thought, removing the fragile femme from his interior before quietly backing up into the woods and reversing away from the base. Once he was far enough away to be satisfied, he entered the warp gate and appeared in bipedal mode inside the Decepticon's base on the moon, hiding any emotion from his optics.

He strolled past a cranky Thundercracker and a confused Skywarp to his old quarters, which he had never expected to see again.

"Home, sweet home." He muttered sarcastically, entering the metal room and plopping down on his recharge bed, slipping off into stasis.

* * *

"What the—?!" Saber's voice suddenly piped up, her eyes wide as she stared at one of the smaller views on the screen where Optimus had previously been talking to Jetfire. She took in a sharp breath, turning sharply toward the doorway and using all the strength in her body to run – run towards Red Alert's medical bay, where he would most likely be working on something new.

"Red Alert!" Her voice filled the room, causing the medic to look up in surprise at her actions. He turned to face her, obviously concerned.

"Yes, Saber?"

"You have to come. Come _now_!" Without another word she turned, sprinting out of the room and towards the back exit of the base, which led to the woods. She could hear the medic's hurried footsteps trailing behind her – had she managed to outrun him somehow? She shrugged the thought off and ignored the infrared scan that the computer was performing on her, to prove that she was allowed to have access inside the base. When the doors opened with a _whoosh_, she hurried to a small bundle lying close to the edge of the woods.

"Oh – my – _god_, Red Alert! Come look at this!"

The medic moved swiftly; within moments he was at her side and looking down at what she had been so startled about. Something caught in his vocal processor and his spark jumped; lying on the ground was a small human female. His scan indicated that she had various broken bones, most of them on her legs. She was unconscious, and large bruises were already starting to form on her legs and body.

The medic reached over and picked her up carefully, heading back inside the base with Saber following suit. He entered his medical bay in an instant and began to use all of the human knowledge he had acquired, as well as began to download more off of the world wide web.

"Red Alert, is she going to be okay?"

The medic didn't hesitate in his work; he gave her a brief nod before reaching to get some of his tools.

"I'll do my best, Saber…I promise."

The older Anderson nodded in response; she was about to leave when she turned back suddenly, eyes softening as she looked at the broken girl. "I…I know her, Red Alert. Take good care of her."

The medic looked up then; he had never heard Saber's voice be so quiet and pleading, which only urged him to try anything he could to help the girl. "I will, Saber…but by the way her legs look…she might be paralyzed from the waist down, possibly for the rest of her life."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sorry to end it on such a sad note, guys! I know you've been waiting forever for this update, and I apologize…it's been such a crazy week, with school starting Monday and all.

Not too much StarscreamxAlexis in this chappie, but I'll try to make room for some as I further introduce my baddies in the next chapter!

Until then, everyone!


	13. Plan

**Author's Note**: Wow! It took me a looong time to put this chapter out, it seems! Now that school has started, everything's been so crazy…and with work, I haven't had much time to do anything! Sigh…but I don't have work until Thursday of next week, so hopefully I'll be able to get a new chapter up by then…if not, hopefully Friday or Saturday.

On to reviews!

**Mistress Megatron**: That's true. I haven't really met anybody that likes Thrust…haha! He has no friends.

And thank you for understanding! Poor Starscream and Alexis. I need to give them more "we" time.

**Blood shifter**: I do have to agree that Sideways was a better villain – although, Thrust is going to fit my plan nicely. After all, who wants a villain that always gets what he wants?

And to answer your question, no – when I said small I meant shorter than Saber and Alexis. Saber is around 5'7 and 5'9, while Alexis is between 5'4 and 5'6, so this girl is going to be between 5' and 5'2. She's going to be a shorty, like me! But she's around Saber's age.

**Azura Soul Reaver**: Thanks! And hopefully she'll be okay!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: Hahaha, you don't need to stay up for my update! It'll still be there in the morning. What you need to do is have a nice cup of hot cocoa (although it's summer…but yum) and have it relax you.

Oh yes, Blurr will go ape when he finds out who did it. Woe the transformer that dare hurt his mate!

I absolutely LOVE Jazz, he's so funny to write!

Aww! I'm glad you love the pair. And it's true; I haven't seen Jetfire being paired that often, much less with OC girls. It's nice for the bot to get some lovin'!

I adore the three Seekers! I'm glad you do too!

Yes, feel free to kick Thrust's butt! Although he'll have to stick around for a little in my story…I apologize!

Thank you for reviewing! I hope I'll be able to answer all of your questions soon.

**KnucklesRedFury207.2**: I'm glad to have caught your interest!

Thanks for reviewing, everyone!

P.S.: I still don't own Transformers…but the decal on my phone is sweeeet!

* * *

There was a high-pitched ringing sound in the girl's ear as she struggled to fight away from being unconscious. Her chest rose and fell in uneven breaths and she clutched the bed she was in – soft, comfortable, and sturdy. Her lips parted slightly to allow air to escape and she arched her back, away from the bed; her eyes snapped open suddenly and she held back a scream, memories of her experience flooding back into her mind.

She reached an unsteady hand to wipe a bead of sweat from her brow, her steel-gray eyes darting around the room she was in. She managed to cough, which alerted a younger girl's attention and caused her to look up sleepily from the desk.

"Huh? Oh, you're awake!" Alexis exclaimed, standing up abruptly from her desk. She grinned broadly at the girl and moved to stand at the side of the bed, looking at her. "I'll go tell my sister. She'll be so happy!" The girl turned suddenly and left, exiting the gigantic room through a human-sized door on her right.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows; why had she seemed so familiar? Her thoughts turned suddenly to the massive size of the room, and she remembered a pain in her legs – a pain that wasn't there anymore; in fact, she couldn't feel anything from the waist down.

Her eyes widened and she choked down a gasp; she shoved the sheets off her body and looked down at her legs. There were faint bruises there, as well as a few scars, but not much beside that; she tried to move them and when she couldn't, she let out a startled cry and sat up completely.

She used both of her hands to touch her right leg, pressing her fingers against it and even digging her nails into the skin. When she still couldn't feel anything, not even pain, realization hit her hard and hot tears began pouring down her cheeks. She pushed her legs to dangle over the side of the bed, and she leaned forward a little bit too much, causing herself to fall off the bed. She landed on the cold floor with a loud 'smack', barely recognizing the faint pain in her abdomen as she attempted to crawl over to the door.

Tears continued to stream down her cheeks; she barely registered a girl standing in front of her until she had no energy left and lay with her cheek against the cold floor, sobbing.

Saber looked at her with pity, reaching down and nodding to her sister. The two girls lifted the short girl off the floor and moved her back to the bed, covering her quietly and waiting for her to calm down.

"I'm…so sorry, Lillian."

Upon hearing the voice Lillian looked up; she examined Saber's face quickly and recognized her immediately – no wonder the other girl had seemed so familiar; she was Saber Anderson's sister!

Remembering her condition, she looked down at her legs with disgust before looking back up at Saber.

"I want to know who did this to me."

"We don't know…we have an idea, but we're not sure…" She shifted uncomfortably under the pressure; how was she going to explain this whole thing to her?

"Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but…"

"I've had plenty of crazy in my life time. Just spit it out." She spoke; she honestly didn't mean to be so harsh but she couldn't help being upset about her condition.

Saber hesitated, looking at the girl's gray eyes with sympathy. She sighed, keeping her gaze locked onto hers as she began to explain everything, waiting for her reaction.

When she was done, Lillian narrowed her eyes at the girl and broke the gaze, staring hard at her legs. She curled her hands into fists and clenched her jaw, clearly remembering what her attacker looked like.

"Shit…" She muttered suddenly, causing the girls to look at her in surprise, "It makes more sense now. I was wondering if someone had put drugs in my steak when I was dangling fifteen feet in the air in some robot's hand." She let out a sarcastic chuckle, "Although I still don't quite understand everything…I don't even know why that bastard picked me, of all people." She gritted her teeth, nails digging into her palm before she finally began to relax. "Oh god…what am I going to do?" She put her hands up to her face, her whole body trembling under the weight of what had happened to her.

Saber glanced at her sister and nodded, before turning back to Lillian. "Look…I doubt you want to stay in this base the whole time so…how about you move into my house? We can accommodate everything to fit your needs, and you won't be asked many questions." She paused, "Or you can leave now – forget this ever happened, and make up some story to tell to everyone back home that they'll believe."

Lillian looked back up at Saber, staring into the girl's hazel eyes in surprise.

"You're…serious?"

Saber nodded, "It's your choice. But you don't have much time to make it…I have a feeling that the people that attacked you are formulating a plan to attack this base."

Lillian paused, staring at her. After a moment, she managed to let out a couple of laughs and shake her head. "Saber Anderson…you always managed to get yourself into the strangest situations." She smiled, glancing over when she spotted Alexis returning with a folded-up wheelchair. She couldn't help but grimace at the sight; she would've never expected to be in one of those, but so be it.

She accepted Saber's help after a few tries of attempting to get into the wheelchair on her own; she let out a sigh and allowed the girl to wheel her out of the room and into the hallway.

"So…how'd I get here?"

Saber blinked, trying to remember the moment. "I don't know, exactly…someone must've taken you and brought you here."

Lillian blushed slightly at the memory, "I…I think I know. He was one of them…he was in allegiance with the one who hurt me but he still helped me." She paused, "I drifted in and out of consciousness from the pain, but I vaguely remember black…and gold…"

Saber furrowed her eyebrows; she tried to remember a Decepticon of that color and blinked when she came up with one.

"…Wheeljack?"

"Is that his name?" Lillian asked, a little too excited; she realized her mistake and looked to the side, lowering her eyelids. "He saved me…why would he save me, if he's one of the bad guys?"

"He used to be an Autobot…I suppose his old Autobot programming got the better of him and he helped you. Although, if he's trying to prove his allegiance to the Decepticons, it's still quite strange that he would risk a move like that…" Saber admitted, thinking back about it and raising an eyebrow, "…he probably expects to see you again."

"You really think so?" She spoke up, turning and glancing at her. She paused before straightening herself up in her seat and crossing her arms. "I need to thank him. After all, he saved my life…"

Saber gave her a smile, pausing in front of a door and looking sternly at her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Lillian nodded once, hearing the door slide open and squinting at the light that came through. Once they were inside she looked around, spotting all of the mechs at work. Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but tremble slightly at their massive height; the tallest thing she'd probably ever seen was some old oak trees, and these 'bots surely overcame that.

She took in a sharp breath, grabbing hold of her jeans firmly when they all turned around to stare at her. She could feel her cheeks getting hotter under their gaze and she glanced to the side, nervous.

Saber stepped out from behind the girl and stood next to her instead, smiling up at the 'bots.

"Hey guys. This is Lillian Edwards…we went to high school together."

"And college." She managed to add, still keeping her eyes away from theirs. Was she dreaming all of this?

"Oh yes, and college." Saber agreed, glancing at Blurr before turning to Jetfire.

The mech, taking it as a hint, removed Rosaline from his shoulder and set her gently on the ground. He moved down to be at their eye-level, holding out a finger for Lillian to shake.

"Hey there. I'm Jetfire, the Autobot second-in-command."

Lillian looked over at him, blinking at how close he seemed to be. She let out a nervous laugh and shook his finger, before glancing over at the girl standing close by.

Rosaline took that as a hint. "Hi! I'm Rosaline Adair – Jetfire's my guardian." She felt her cheeks grow warmer as she glanced at the mech, before he picked her up and cradled her safely in his hand.

Lillian looked at the two from a distance, nodding inwardly. _"Oh yeah. There's definitely something there…if not now, there will be."_ She smiled a bit, trying to figure out how those relationships worked before someone interrupted her.

"_Hel-lo_ be-a-u-tiful!" Jazz chimed in, bringing himself close and hearing her laugh as he shook her hand. "It's nice to have you aboard. I'm Jazz, and this fine honey here is my partner, Iris." He motioned towards a femme, who shook Lillian's hand as well before speaking up.

"I can introduce myself." She smiled at Jazz, turning to Lillian. "Hello, I'm Iris…and I apologize in advance for Jazz's behavior. He short-circuited a few times when he was a sparkling." She winked an optic at her, ignoring Jazz's rebuttal before stepping back.

"She's just hatin', girl. Don't listen at her." He muttered, adjusting his visor. "And to clarify, I am also second-in-command of the Autobots. Ol' Jetfire here likes to have all the glory." He smirked, trying to shake off Jetfire's glare before moving to stand next to Iris.

Alexis stepped up then, grinning at her. "You pretty much already know me, but just to refresh your memory…I'm Alexis, Saber's sister." She smiled, motioning to the tall, red and white mech behind her, "And this is Starscream. He's my guardian."

Lillian felt herself shrink beneath the mech's gaze; she gasped softly when he approached and pushed herself back against the wheelchair when he moved closer. Her eyes widened slightly when they locked gazes with his red optics, but her courage returned quickly and she leaned forward, eyes narrowing in defiance.

Starscream couldn't help but smirk at the girl's actions; he narrowed his optics at her as well and paused a moment. "Welcome to the team." He spoke, his voice raspy and neutral. He chuckled lightly before stepping back, whisking Alexis up in his hand and holding her close to his spark.

"_He just might be trouble."_ Lillian thought, glancing at Alexis and how comfortable she seemed to be in his presence. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, _"Yep. Definitely something there, too."_ She smiled inwardly, blinking when another mech stepped forward and spoke coolly.

"Hello, Miss Edwards. I am Blurr, Saber's guardian." He shook her hand, glancing at his sparkmate briefly before pausing to step back.

Lillian looked at Saber out of the corner of her eye, watching her smile. She noticed the way Saber looked at him, and the way her cheeks were turning a light rose color when she spoke a word too quite for her to hear, even at their close proximity. Realization hit her like a brick and she forced herself to look away, remembering something that she had told Saber when they were in college.

_FLASHBACK_

_Saber and Lillian sat in a courtyard, under one of the large weeping willow trees. They both had books on their lap, and while Saber was reading the book studiously, Lillian stared off into the distance, watching a couple._

"_Damn. When's my prince charming gonna come?" She asked suddenly, causing her study mate to look up._

_Saber stared at her blankly for a few seconds, before following her gaze to where the couple sat, flirting openly. She chuckled softly, shaking her head at the girl. _

"_You need to be patient. You've gotta wait for the right one, Lily…you can't just expect him to ride up in a white horse and hand you a bouquet of flowers. This is the twenty-first century." _

_Lillian laughed, glancing down at her book and shaking her head. "Wouldn't that be nice, though? But I guess you're right…mine will come, someday…I hope." She paused, glancing at Saber before grinning, "But I have an idea of how your dream man is going to be."_

"_Oh yeah? What's that?" Saber asked, shifting a bit and crossing her arms to look at her._

"_He's going to be tall…you're going to find him when you least expect it. He's going to be larger-than-life…you just wait! Knowing you, it'll be quite the adventure…"_

_END FLASHBACK_

"_Damn, I was so right."_ Lillian thought, pursing her lips to the side and shaking her head. She let out a quiet sigh, her thought process interrupted by Saber clearing her throat. She blinked, looking up and spotting a new mech in front of her.

"Hello Miss Edwards. I am Red Alert, the Autobot medic." He shook her hand, raising an optic ridge when her eyes suddenly went wide.

"Medic? That means…you're the one that fixed me up when I got here! I owe you a big thank you, Red Alert." She smiled; nodding at him and watching him smile faintly in return. She waited for him to step back before glancing at all of the people she had just met, laughing softly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all."

* * *

"Shockwave? SHOCKWAVE!" A voice wailed, angrily. The military operations commander stepped grumpily out of his quarters and toward an infuriated Thrust, who seemed to be bashing his strange fingers into Megatron's old throne, clawing at the metal.

"Might I suggest that you cease your mindless attack on the steel throne, unless you want to remove one of your digits?" He spoke coolly, watching the 'new' Decepticon leader with reprimand.

"Shut it, you insolent buffoon!" He screeched, his hands clenching into fists as he narrowed his optics at him. He puffed his chest out, attempting to seem tougher than he really was. "I am tired of just sitting here, rusting away in this decrepit base!" He growled, "Now make yourself useful and think up a plan so that we can attack the Autobot base!"

Shockwave released air from his vents, flustered. "I have already conjured one, Lord Thrust." He replied coldly, flexing his digits in exasperation.

"AND?"

"We shall begin by using my skills to lower the Autobot's defenses. Once inside, we shall exterminate the human vermin—" He seemed to shudder at the thought of the _homo sapiens_, "—and continue by annihilating Jetfire first. Then Jazz, Blurr, and Starscream. Lastly shall be Red Alert, the medic, and Iris, the femme. They are the lowest threats."

Thrust faltered briefly, shifting in his seat. "Iris shall be left alive…she shall be my prisoner."

Shockwave grimaced at the thought, almost as if knowing what Thrust had planned for her. He shook his head quickly before turning back to where he left off.

"Very well. I shall relay the orders to the others."

Thrust smirked, tapping his fingers together anxiously. He began to laugh, energon pumping through his wires as he thought of what was to come.

"One more thing, Shockwave."

The operations commander froze, not bothering to turn and face him. He set a hand on the doorway, optic dimmed in annoyance. "Yes, Lord Thrust?"

"When will this…plan of yours be set in motion?"

Shockwave narrowed his optic, turning and looking at the leader over his shoulder.

"We attack tomorrow, 2200 hours."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sorry, sorry it took me so long! And this chapter is pretty short, too…you guys must hate me, waah! I apologize.

There shall be a little bit of couple romance at the beginning of next chapter, before the battle begins. How do you guys think everyone is going to fare? And do you expect anyone to die?

Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope I'll be able to update sooner next time!


	14. Surprise

**Author's Note**: I hope I can convey my moods well in this chapter. My uncle died Tuesday, and my mom is completely devastated…he was the youngest of five, and although I didn't get to know him that well, it's still hitting me pretty hard, too.

But on to a lighter note…and reviews!

**blood shifter**: Thank you! And yes, Wheeljack will get his own little piece of love!

**Nola1**: Here's your update!

**MidnightEmerge**: Sorry I couldn't update sooner! This week has been filled with drama of all kinds, unfortunately…

Haha, feel free to kill Thrust! Saves me some work!

**Azura Soul Reaver**: How is it that you always figure these things out? Are you inside my mind?!

**KnucklesRedFury207.2**: Oh yes, yes they are! And here's your update!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: Yeah, so do I! Poor Shockwave…sigh. Here's your update!

**DarkMizar**: Ooh, sounds like you had fun! I wish I could do something like that…sigh. Unfortunately, I've got school now…but hopefully my two girl best friends and I will go on a cruise for next summer! One can only hope.

**Mistress Megatron**: No worries! And I can't really say whether there will be both just yet…I'm trying to figure that out.

Next Wednesday? I started school Monday the 18th! You're lucky! I'm a senior too, and I've been having a blast so far. Despite all the work, I can tell it's going to be a fun year.

2200 hours 10:00 PM. And pfft, I'm not a genius, silly! I just manage to be able to figure out military time. And like the others, here's your update!

P.S.: I unfortunately still do not have any ownage of the awesome Transformers series…sigh.

* * *

"Slag it!" Starscream screeched, after attempting to fit a puzzle piece into its rightful place. He had been attempting to put it together with Alexis as they sat outside, but every time the mech tried to fit a piece, his fingers would cause the ones already together to separate and scatter onto the grass.

Alexis watched him, laughing. "Oh Starscream, don't get so frustrated. It's just a puzzle." She picked up the scattered pieces, setting them on the wooden board Starscream had snatched from inside the base. Truthfully, he didn't know why they needed wood, so he figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to take it.

"How about this," She paused, fitting the pieces back together, "You tell me where they go and I'll put them in the right place." She suggested, waiting for his response. When none came she blinked, halting her work on the puzzle and turning around to face him.

"Star—" She gasped, eyes traveling up the person's muscled chest to meet their orange-red eyes. She could barely see her reflection in their fire, stumbling back and tripping on the wooden board.

Something reached out and caught her, clasping her firmly by the waist with an arm. Alexis could feel her heart beating in her ears as she was pressed against the figure, her fingers tracing up his arm to rest on his chest, curling slightly around his shirt. Her deep, emerald eyes rose curiously to meet his heavenly orbs, and she raised one of her small hands timidly to set on his cheek.

"Starscream…" She whispered, knowing she didn't need to say his name but loving the way it sounded.

The holoform responded with a grunt, his light pink lips curling up into a smirk as he looked at her. "You seem surprised." He spoke suddenly, his raspy-voiced remark causing her cheeks to change shade.

"No, I…well…yes." She smiled nervously, reaching up on her tiptoes to get closer to his face. "You never seem to show me your holoform anymore – that's why I'm surprised." She humphed before rocking back on her heels, falling into his protective embrace.

Starscream chuckled, leaning down to press his lips against the side of her face. He could feel her heartbeat quicken with his actions, and he kissed her gently on the cheek before moving his lips back to her ear.

"This is your reward for being a good little sparkmate."

Alexis had to think twice about what he said – considering the fact that he was distracting her with his kisses, she waited for his face to be in front of hers again before she spoke.

"Oh _really_?"

"Yes, really."

Alexis stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. When Starscream tried to loosen them, she simply puffed her bottom lip out and remained firm, holding her stance.

"Alexis, what are you—" He grumbled, trying to wrap her arms around his neck. When she wouldn't budge, he tried a different technique – he hugged her close and began to kiss her neck, her ear, her cheek, and tickled her sides. Fortunately, she couldn't hold her straight face for much longer and began to crack, letting out small giggles and attempting to push his hands away.

When he continued, she finally burst out into laughter and threw her arms around his neck. "Okay, okay, I give! Stop tickling me!" She pleaded; burying her face into his neck and feeling him relax. She sighed into his synthetic skin and closed her eyes briefly before pulling back, looking up at him with her beautiful green eyes.

"Oh, Starscream…" She whispered, feeling one of his hands cup her chin and tilt it closer to him. When he began to lean forward, she shut her eyes and did the same, soon after feeling his lips embrace hers in a surprisingly gentle kiss.

* * *

Saber thanked herself for not having Jetfire's ability to interrupt at the most awkward times. She had seen Starscream's form struggling in the distance, and she figured Alexis was making him do something that perplexed his abilities in one way or the other. She had been ready to go help when he suddenly became still, causing the girl to freeze and take a step back.

Saber shook her head, standing outside of the base with her arms crossed. "Man, that would've been so weird…" She thought, imagining what would've happened if she had managed to stumble into a kiss between the two. As Alexis' older sister, she would've been tempted to part the two and scold her younger sister, but she would've had to remember the feelings Alexis had towards Starscream. No matter what, she would refuse to get in the way of her sister's heart. Something told her that although Starscream could be pretty grouchy sometimes, he really cared about the younger Anderson and would take care of her at any cost.

But still, she was glad she hadn't stumbled into the situation.

"I need to ask Jetfire what his secret to getting out of those situations is." She thought, blinking twice and jumping when she felt someone touch her waist. She was ready to defend when she realized who it was, and instead allowed him to scoop her up into his hand and carry her into a separate part of the woods from where Alexis and Starscream were.

She adjusted her shirt when he set her down, and when she was turning around to say something he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close, kissing her adamantly and catching her completely off-guard. Instead of pushing him away, however, she shut her eyes and gave in to his kiss, waiting for him to part it and taking a deep breath of air.

"Blurr…?" She managed to ask, eyes showing curiosity, "…is that you?"

The latter laughed, responding quickly with his deep, baritone voice. "Of course, my sparkmate…" He brought his face closer to hers, watching as she smiled. He kissed her on the cheek, pulling back and suddenly gaining his usual seriousness.

"Saber, I know you've probably felt this, but…" He hesitated, watching her eyes for any negative response, "…I've detected something in my central processor that is causing me to worry." He watched her eyes widen – a not surprising reaction considering his non-fearing demeanor, "It is what you humans call…a 'bad feeling'."

Saber hesitated briefly before responding. "Yes, I've had one…something's going to happen tonight, isn't it Blurr?"

The holoform's eyebrows furrowed, showing his disapproval.

"Indeed, my sparkmate. I can chance that the other 'bots know…even Starscream, which is why he is acting so closely to Alexis. He doesn't want to believe that what he has may come to an end…" He paused, "And to be honest, neither do I."

Saber shook her head at him. "No, Blurr…" She set her forehead against his, smiling, "We'll get through this together, I promise." She held up her pinky, watching as he uneasily hooked his with hers, "I'll do my best to keep the girls safe and out of harm's way…but I can't control or predict their actions, remember that." She felt him nod, her eyes softening as she looked at him. "I love you, Blurr…"

"And I you, my sparkmate…" He smiled, tilting his head up slightly and watching as she pulled back. In retort, he leant forward and caught her lips in another kiss, soft and gentle. He moved away after a moment and traced his lips down her chin and neck, smiling when he saw her skin gain goosebumps. He let out a chuckle, causing the girl to shift a bit in his grasp and let out a playful 'humph'.

He couldn't help but feel something was going to go terribly wrong that night, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

Rosaline sat happily on Jetfire's shoulder, holding on to one of his shoulder protrusions carefully. She glanced down over his shoulder to see what he was working on, which seemed very complex.

"Wow…that looks really hard." She said with a frown, staring curiously at the object in his hand.

The mech looked up with interested optics, noticing her expression. He set a large tool down and moved to pick her up gently, setting her on the tabletop that he was working on and smiling beneath his faceplate. "Oh, it's not. I'll show you." He grinned, pointing at a screw that was about half her size, "Look. That goes here." He pointed at a certain place, watching as she attempted to lift up the heavy metal object. Without a word, he gently moved over and helped her pick it up, setting the screw so it would be ready for her to turn.

"There. Now turn it."

Blinking, Rosaline did as told and let out a gasp when her 'hard work' began to fall into place. "I did it, sweet!" She said happily, letting out a laugh and looking up at him.

"Of course. You can do anything as long as you desire it." He replied, watching her cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink. He couldn't help but smile at her antics; although it had been really hard to keep his feelings towards her hidden, he was having an easier time being around her. It seemed almost as though she returned his feelings without ever having to speak of them, and the two just got along well enough to not need to express the words. Her words of gratitude suddenly snapped him out of his trance, and his optics flickered, as if he had blinked.

"You're welcome, Rosaline."

The girl blushed again, turning away sheepishly and letting out a nervous chuckle. _"God, why am I so shy?"_ She thought sadly, moving her gaze to watch him work again.

Jetfire glanced at her out of the corner of his optic, still smiling. His smile faded off when he remembered what he and Blurr had discussed, and how they needed to be prepared. The device he was working on was actually something for his cannon – it would allow Decepticon signals to be tracked and locked on to. He had gotten the idea from Red Alert, but he figured it was a good thing to have if the unwelcome visitors decided to show up that night.

* * *

All of their thoughts were confirmed. Exactly at ten that night, there was a horrible, ear-piercing screech, of metal being torn apart. Most of the Autobots, excluding Red Alert who stayed with the girls, ran to the source and spotted a large, gaping hole on the side of the base – the weakest point, it seemed, of the older section that nobody really went to.

"Slag it, they're already inside." Jazz commented, turning quickly and running back towards where they had left the humans.

Jetfire was about to speak when he suddenly heard a gut-wrenching scream, his optics widening when he realized it was from Rosaline. "Rosaline, no!" He yelled, hurrying into the room and freezing immediately at the sight. Shockwave was busy hacking into the communications room mainframe, to gain information about the Autobot base back on Cybertron. Red Alert was pinned against one of the metal walls, obviously weakened by Thundercracker's attack. Close by was Iris, held in place by Wheeljack and the super-powered taser at her neck. The femme was obviously having a struggle; as much as she wanted to help the others, Wheeljack was keeping close tabs on her movements and with each millimeter she moved, he moved the taser an inch closer.

None of those sights were anything compared to the one directly in front of him. She was in Skywarp's hand, dangling by her arm and obviously in pain. The mech was having a fun time using his index and thumb to squeeze her abdomen, causing a few ribs to crack with a nasty, loud _crunch_. The girl screamed and her cheeks were adorned with tears; where her blush usually reigned there was nothing but a pale, sickly color.

Jetfire felt energon pumping hot in his internal wires and he let out a scream, suddenly lunging towards Skywarp to save his mate.

Skywarp, seeing his oncoming attack, suddenly threw Rosaline's weakened form into the air and watched Jetfire's optics widened. The larger mech screeched to a halt and gasped; Skywarp smirked and reached up to catch the falling girl, holding her firmly in his hand.

"Alright Jetfire – it's your move." He smirked, squeezing the girl to the point that she screamed even louder than before.

Blurr was horrified at his teammate's pain, but it was nothing compared to the one he felt when he realized that Thrust was holding his mate. Not only his, but he was holding Starscream's mate, too – one in each hand, firmly.

"So, which one will it be, boys? Older, or younger?" He laughed loudly, causing Shockwave to cringe in the distance but continue his work. Blurr growled, attempting to move closer but freezing when Thrust let go of the girls and they began to fall into the air. He caught them swiftly by their right foot, dangling them helplessly in front of the two mech's eyes.

Blurr could almost taste Starscream's anger without even looking at him. His optics narrowed and he clenched his fists, gasping when his comrade suddenly lunged at the new Decepticon 'leader', his attack followed by the loud clanging of metal on metal.

Blurr followed close, seeming to growl in desperation. He heard the pained screams as the two girls were roughly dropped on the ground, and he managed to scoop them up into his hands and roll out of harm's way as Starscream began his angered assault on Thrust.

He set them down by a vent, not explaining his logic as he returned to battle, helping Starscream out with his attack.

Saber ignored the pain coming from her joins as she crawled over to her sister, who seemed too dazed to recognize anything. She gritted her teeth when she noticed a cut on her sister's forehead, which had begun to bleed and was gaining speed on allowing the crimson liquid to reign free over her sister's clothes.

"Damnit." She muttered silently, remembering Lillian and looking around for the girl. "Where did she go?" She asked quietly, her eyes widening when she spotted said girl wheeling herself closer to Red Alert, to aid him. "Oh god, no! Lillian!" She yelled, trying to get the girl's attention but failing miserably.

Lillian moved quickly, determined to aid her savior. She hadn't even realized Wheeljack was in the same room – she was too busy trying to help her friends. She barely registered Saber calling her name as one of the wheels on her wheelchair caught on a groove in the ground, causing her to fly into the air and land roughly on her stomach. She hit her chin on the ground, teeth grinding together but ignoring the pain as she continued, trekking on and dragging herself to Thundercracker's feet. As much as it hurt, she began to pound on his foot, screaming at him to let Red Alert go.

Jazz, perplexed, ran to Iris and suddenly kicked Wheeljack in the side. "Lay off my girl, Deceptiscum!" He yelled, catching the Decepticon off guard and causing him to stumble back towards Thundercracker, who wasn't too far away.

Thundercracker glanced down at the girl, his attention taken away from Red Alert and the incoming Wheeljack. He was about to shake her off his foot when his fellow Decepticon bumped into him, causing the two to fly a small way and land closer to Shockwave.

Lillian had been kicked into the air in the process, her limp body suddenly landing on the hard metal floor. She hit her head on impact, knocking herself out in the process and lying coldly on the ground.

Red Alert, weakened but wary, moved sluggishly over to the small girl and picked her up in his hand. He muttered something inaudible and tried to reach her wheelchair, gasping when it was suddenly crushed by a smirking Shockwave.

The Decepticon smirked, letting out a cruel laugh as his optic brightened mockingly. He glanced over at the fallen Thundercracker and Wheeljack, "Get up, you fools! There's Autobots to exterminate!" He said harshly, watching the two scramble to their feet and hurry to aid him. He kicked Red Alert in the chest, causing the mech to slide across the floor with a terrifying screech and unwittingly letting go of the frail human in his hand.

Wheeljack caught her before Lillian before any more damage was done to her body; he hesitated briefly and recognized her as the girl he had saved not too long ago. He felt something clutch at his spark, causing him to run suddenly across the room and set Lillian down by Saber, ignoring the shocked look coming from the girl. He hurried back to Thundercracker's side, aiding him in the art of making Red Alert feel as much pain as possible.

Jetfire, unaware of his comrade's struggles, let out a loud yell and charged at Skywarp, causing the mech's optics to widen in surprise. Skywarp let go of the female as soon as Jetfire rammed his shoulder into his chest, causing him to groan in pain and attempt to fight back.

"Don't you – _ever_ – touch her _again_!" He yelled angrily, ramming his fists into Skywarp's confused face.

When Jetfire briefly hesitated, the Decepticon took this as an opportunity to hurt his spark. "What's wrong, Jetfire? Afraid you'll lose your sparkmate?" He sneered, using the mech's moment of shock against him. He reached his hand up and caught Jetfire's neck, squeezing it painfully and laughing at his pain. "It'll be my pleasure to annihilate her before your eyes!"

Saber glanced over, gasping at Jetfire's struggle. She glanced at Blurr, who seemed to engrossed with his battle against Thrust to notice anything else. She noticed Skywarp inching closer and closer to Rosaline, who simply lay limp on the ground after the force of the impact with the ground knocked her unconscious, like Lillian.

She was about to yell for help when a silver blur passed at the corner of her eye, and she barely registered it as Jazz until the mech scooped up Rosaline and handed her over to Iris.

Iris, without a moment's hesitation, ran over to Saber and set Rosaline down gently, looking at her. "We'll do the best we can to keep you all safe. Just stay here." She explained, waiting for Saber's nod before turning and moving back to help Red Alert.

Jazz, on the other hand, helped Jetfire by kicking Skywarp in the face, causing the Decepticon's grip to loosen on his comrades' neck.

"Take that and smoke it, sucka!" He mocked, laughing as Jetfire stood up readily and began his assault on Skywarp. Seeing that his comrade had the situation under control, he hurried to Iris' side to aid her with Wheeljack and Thundercracker.

Saber, horrified, watched from the distance. The broken females lay scattered closely to where she was, all unconscious from various impacts and wounds. Her hands trembled and her eyes began to fill with tears; a knot formed in her throat and she tried to blink the tears away feebly.

"I've…never been so scared in my life…"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sorry I had to end it there guys. xD I've had a really bad day and I really need some rest…

I really hate drama.

Anyway, until the next update, everyone!


	15. Loss

**Author's Note**: Well, my life has turned for the better, I suppose. There's been SO MUCH going on…but I got accepted into the university I wanted, whee! My apologies for the awesomely late update…

**MidnightEmerge**: xD I can't promise anything just yet! Thrust is totally being double-whammied by Starscream and Blurr, haha! His death was pretty funny in Armada, I have to agree!

**Mistress Megatron**: Haha, sorry about that. It kinda felt weird to type it…I rubbed my chin a little after I was done.

And yes, it was! Such disorganization can only come from terrible leadership. It is safe to assume that Shockwave's plan was thrown out the window and the other Decepticons were left to do as they pleased. Poor Shockwave, haha!

Knowing Rosaline, she'll be curious enough to ask _somebody_ about the sparkmate ordeal. Poor girl, she's been left out in the cold.

Thank you for your condolences, and I must admit I'm also sorry to hear about your father. I can't imagine how hard it must be…but now we're officially together in cookies and life!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: Thank you for your sympathy, and I'm sad to hear about your losses, however long ago they may have happened. And also thank you for the aiding hand, I'll be sure to keep that in mind!

But yes, the Decepticons are totally going all-out! And from now on it's safe to say that Saber will try to avoid Jetfire's uncanny ability to walk-in at the wrong time.

**Azura Soul Reaver**: I agree! But hopefully the other girls will be waking up soon!

**blood shifter**: Thank you! Hopefully this battle scene coming up will be able to rival the last one, if not succeed it.

**DarkMizar**: I know, right? If only boys like them popped up in our life and swept us off our feet…sigh.

I hope you had a good first day! My first few weeks of school have been going pretty well, I even know what dress I want to wear to prom! It's kinda sad that I'm thinking this far ahead…haha.

My worst fear is cockroaches. This thumb-sized one touched my leg once and I ran out of my room and cried…I refused to go back into my room until my dad killed it. It was so HUGE, it could FLY! I still shiver at the thought.

**KnucklesRedFury207.2**: I try, haha! And I can assure that there will be plenty of butt-kicking in this chapter!

**tlcoopi7**: Thank you for reviewing! And I promise to bring more AlexisxStarscream romance along soon!

**dark firefly 16**: I'm sorry it took long! My chapters aren't that long, but they can seem to be when you have a busy life, eh? Thank you for reviewing!

P.S.: You guessed it; I don't own Transformers.

* * *

Saber barely registered a pained groan coming from her right. When she turned, she spotted a weak Lillian attempting to sit up, and she quickly rushed over to aid her. Saber scanned her head for any wounds, and was about to ask her how she felt when the girl gasped, attempting to free herself from Saber's hold.

"Lillian, stop! What are you doing?!"

The latter merely screamed, her eyes filling up with tears as she tried to move closer to two of the mechs.

Seeing her desperation, Saber paused a moment to follow her gaze. Her eyes widened when they finally landed on the scene; Red Alert was lying on the ground, energon seeming to pour out of his body in waves as Wheeljack stood over him, his weapon quickly charging up and emitting an ominous glow.

"Red Alert…" She said helplessly, barely feeling Lillian's body tense beneath her.

Lillian suddenly slammed her palms against the ground, not even registering the pain as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "NO!" Was the only word she managed to yell, sobbing hopelessly as she shook her head. "Don't do this…" She whispered, tears rolling down her flushed cheeks as easily as energon was leaving Red Alert's body.

Wheeljack looked up at the scream, his sensors quickly registering it as Lillian's voice. Had it been anyone else he would've continued, but his gaze moved from Red Alert's pained face to Lillian's small body across the room. The words she whispered were picked up easily by his heightened sensitivity to her voice, and he hesitated a moment, turning to look at Red Alert when he spoke.

"Leave her be, Wheeljack…" The medic spoke, his voice showing defiance despite the fact that his opponent obviously had the upper hand, "You don't deserve her any more than I do. She's a free spirit; naïve and innocent – she shouldn't be weighed down by your malicious ways."

Wheeljack narrowed his optics at him, "How _dare_ you make a claim on _my_ sparkmate? That is a crime punished to the full extent of the law on Cybertron, you should know that full well." He growled, obviously flustered by Red Alert's words. There was _no way_ that both of them could have the same mate…but if that was the case, why was Red Alert so sure of his words?

"She's _mine_ too, you slagger…" Red Alert insulted, his audio sensors too focused on Lillian's voice to recognize the footsteps approaching, "I realized that the day that you left her at our base…no amount of Autobot programming left inside of you could fully influence your actions. You knew _exactly_ where to leave her so that I would find her…and to see her in such a _terrible_ condition shows how good of a guardian you could ever be."

Wheeljack growled, bringing his gun closer to Red Alert's spark covering, "Who are _you_ to talk? You might've saved her life but it was only because I wasn't programmed as a medic, but as a warrior. You couldn't even protect her, for Primus' sake…I am a better fit for Lillian than you'll _ever_ be." He hissed, optics narrowing, "And for insulting me, I'll be more than glad to extinguish your spark. Soon, she won't even remember the name Red Alert." His gun whined loudly one last time, fully charged. He was about to fire when something suddenly hit his hand, causing him to drop his gun and for the shot to fire off in a random direction, hitting one of the walls and causing it to melt from the blast.

"Frag off, slagger!" Jazz's voice suddenly picked up, causing Wheeljack to look up and stare straight into the barrel of the second-in-command's cannon.

Wheeljack was barely able to dodge the shot, tucking and rolling to the side. He looked up in time to see Jazz running toward him, and he pulled up his own weapon and fired off a few shots in his opponent's direction. "I'm going to send you to the Pit for intruding in my fight!"

Saber shook the dazed Lillian, attempting to get the girl to speak. "Lily, stop! You need to focus…please, listen to me!"

Lillian couldn't understand what was happening around her. The voices she heard were garbled and muffled, confusing her profoundly and causing her senses to heighten, managing to hear Red Alert's struggling voice. "This can't be happening…" She managed to whisper, not registering the fact that Saber was shaking her and attempting to get her attention.

Clenching her fists, Lillian felt some unknown force give her the will to move. She didn't even realize that she could feel her legs, and that they were actually _moving_ beneath her, shocking the girl next to her.

Lillian ran, legs moving beneath her gracefully as if she had never lost their abilities. Using her training from running track and playing sports, she seemed to 'dance' through the battling behemoths and make her way to Red Alert, climbing onto his chest plating and breathing heavily. "Red Alert, no!" She managed to cough out, getting the worn-out mech's attention immediately.

Red Alert, realizing the fact that she was standing on her two legs, immediately spoke up. "L-Lillian…" He struggled, managing to smile as the girl looked at him in despair, "You can…walk?"

The girl, too preoccupied with his own health rather than her own, suddenly looked down and gasped. Her eyes widened and she fell to her knees, putting her hands out in front of her for support.

"I…but…" She looked at him, eyes softening as she shook her head, "Red Alert, you're going to be okay…I know you can be strong! Please, you have to stay with me…"

Wheeljack picked up all of her words immediately, narrowing his optics and growling loudly as he struck Jazz in the side. He caused the second-in-command to slam against a wall, and used Jazz's daze to hurry to where Red Alert was, looming over them.

Lillian, seeing a shadow cover her and Red Alert's face, tried not to tremble as she turned around, looking up into the optics of a _very_ pissed off Wheeljack.

Wheeljack allowed his Decepticon side to take over, whisking Lillian up forcefully and bringing her up to his optic level, growling. "Scared of losing him?" He snarled, pointing his gun straight at Red Alert's spark chamber and causing the medic to take in a sharp breath, a learned trait from the humans. Wheeljack didn't even bother to look at Red Alert as he shot off the blast – instead he kept his eyes focused on Lillian's expression, smirking when she attempted to reach Red Alert's dying frame.

"Would you like to join him?" He hissed, allowing her eyes to lock with his burning optics.

Lillian's eyes were brimmed with tears as she looked up at him. Her bottom lip quivered before her lips parted and she exhaled, swallowing a sob so she could speak.

"You're…not like I thought you would be…" She uttered, her voice barely above a whisper; the tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks in the same fashion that the last remaining drops of energon were leaving Red Alert's body. She brought her hands up to her face, unable to hold back any longer and sobbing loudly into her palms, her body shaking uncontrollably in his grasp.

Wheeljack, stunned by her words, loosened his hold on her and merely stared. He tried to think of something to say to redeem the image she had expected him to be but all he could come up with was words of apology, which he refused to say. As a Decepticon, he shouldn't have to apologize to _anyone_ – sparkmate or not.

But even so, his spark sunk so low that he could swear that it reached Unicron in the Pit he had been condemned to.

"Lillian…"

"You bastard!"

Wheeljack looked up at the words; he immediately directed his optical sensors to where the voice had come from and focused in on Blurr's sparkmate, who was sobbing just like Lillian was. He held himself back from shooting at her for such insolence, simply because his spark refused to allow him to commit any further acts that might damage Lillian's emotional levels. Frustrated with himself for being so weak, he placed the fragile human girl down on the ground next to Red Alert, turning away and moving to aid his comrades in battle.

Saber barely registered the pained moan coming from her right until she turned, realizing that it was her sister. She crawled over to her, pushing her back down so she would be lying on the ground. "Stay still, damnit. You've got a pretty nice cut on your head."

"Starscream?" Alexis managed to whisper, the loss of blood causing her to be dazed and blurring her vision.

"He's fine, Alexis. He—" Her words were interrupted by a pained screech, and she looked up just in time to see Thrust shooting Starscream at point-blank range. Her eyes widened and she heard her sister gasp, obviously recognizing her lover's voice.

"Starscream, no!" She yelled, sitting up quickly and causing herself to sway from the motion. Ignoring all better judgment, she used the wall to help herself in standing and blinked away the blurriness that had settled in her eyes, making out the smoking hole in Starscream's shoulder. Her heart began to thump hard in her heart, sending her adrenaline pumping. She began to run towards him, head wound and all, until a pair of arms wrapped around her and dragged her forcefully to the ground, glaring.

"You're staying here, Alexis!"

"But I have to help him!" She yelled, angry that her sister would keep her from helping her mate.

"You won't help _anything_, Alexis! Just stay here!" She replied, flustered at her sister's incompetence. She took a deep breath, finally noticing the pained look in her sister's eyes and widening her own.

"Look, Alexis…I didn't—"

"I know." Alexis replied, forcing a smile. She shook her head, "It just hurts to see him like that. I feel like I need to do _something_, anything!"

Saber gave her a small smile, nodding and parting her lips to speak. She was interrupted by a pained scream, this time coming from a different person. She looked up to see Starscream's sword glowing red-hot, pierced straight through Thrust's spark chamber and causing the Decepticon to convulse various times before finally falling to the ground.

Rosaline awoke just in time to hear the loud crash that Thrust's body made when it came in contact with the ground. She gasped, coughing up small bits of blood from the internal damage she had received from Skywarp. She blinked away the fuzz in her vision and pursed her lips, whispering Jetfire's name when she saw him in the distance, fighting one of the Decepticons.

"_What…happened?"_ She thought, looking down and spotting Red Alert's body in the distance, lying limp. She couldn't connect the scene together yet so she looked around again, spotting Blurr fighting with Thundercracker and Wheeljack. She saw Jazz aiding him with the battle, and Iris swiftly approaching Red Alert and Lillian. It was then that it finally clicked, and her eyes widened to the size of coins, yet she was unable to move the rest of her body from the pain.

"Oh…_god_…"

Shockwave removed a wire from the Autobots' communications computer and pulled back, running to where Thrust lay defeated on the ground.

"Decepticons, we have what we came here for! Retreat!" He yelled, watching as Skywarp left first, followed by Thundercracker. He ignored Starscream completely and set his foot on Thrust's chest, twisting the sword in his spark chamber and causing the dying Decepticon to scream loudly in agony.

"Goodbye, _Lord_ Thrust." He disappeared as well, leaving Wheeljack to be last.

Wheeljack approached Lillian slowly, ignoring the glare that he received from Iris. He could hear the Autobots quickly approaching to surround him but he knelt in front of her, causing her to gasp and push herself closer against a wall.

He stared at her for a moment, his spark dropping from the look of fear and pain in her eyes. He reached out slowly with his hand, but paused suddenly and disappeared just before the first Autobots managed to reach him.

Starscream stared briefly at Red Alert's lifeless body before turning away, walking to where the girls were. He knelt down and brought himself to be at eye-level with Saber, scanning her body and noticing nothing too major. He quickly moved over to Alexis, picking her up as gently as he could in his hands and growling lowly when he spotted the gash on her head.

"Slag it all to the Pit." He muttered angrily, looking up when he heard the alarm, signaling that there had been a breach in the base.

"More Decepticons?" He asked, readying himself for battle. The Autobots stood anxious and ready staring at the door, pointing their cannons and guns and watching closely as the door opened.

"What the slag are you all aiming those guns at us for?" An angry voice spoke, causing everyone to relax as much as they could after this battle.

Starscream turned back to Alexis and nodded once. "We'll get you fixed up in no time, my mate."

Jetfire couldn't stand it any longer. Not only had they lost one of their good comrades, his sparkmate could barely hold her head up and the Decepticons had somehow managed to get away with precious information. _"Some second-in-command I am…"_ He thought angrily, suddenly turning back to where the girls were and staring at Rosaline. He walked over and knelt down, using one digit to gently touch her face.

"My apologies, Rosaline…I am not a very good guardian, am I?" He paused, watching as she attempted to speak but was unable to do so. He cursed himself inwardly, hearing strong footsteps approaching him from the right. He looked up at the newcomer, nodding once and allowing him to step in and carry Rosaline to the medical bay.

"Thank you, Ratchet…I'll gather everyone to the sick bay immediately."

The second newcomer pushed easily through the huddled Autobots around Red Alert, her optics widening when she spotted the condition he was in.

"Red Alert…" She managed to whisper, her hands curling up into fists as she moved her gaze from the fallen mech to the shivering girl curled up against a wall. Her optics narrowed slightly, _"He must've sacrificed himself for her…"_ She thought, optics dimming as she shook her head. She tried to ignore the flooding memories coming back to her, triggered from her memory banks and turned around instead, speaking coldly.

"Everyone needs to go to the medical bay immediately." Her voice was straight and serious, and she glanced over her shoulder at the fragile human femme.

"That includes you, girl." She added, walking off slowly to where Ratchet had taken Rosaline.

Lillian felt her heart sink at her tone, but managed to get herself to stand up slowly and drag her feet to the medical bay. Blurr, feeling pity, scooped her up into his hand and headed over to pick up Saber as well.

Starscream carried Alexis quietly to the medical bay, his face set into an emotionless expression even though his spark was extremely worried for the small girl. He set her down on one of the human beds in the room and allowed Ratchet to begin his work.

"Red Alert sent me daily updates on how to treat humans, so I should be able to handle this. Everyone needs to head back to their respective quarters and wait until I am able to bring you in and perform a thorough diagnosis scan." He paused, listening as the footsteps began to move out of the room. "That includes you, Starscream." He heard the Seeker growl, but simply continued on his work, beginning with Rosaline.

* * *

Jazz and Jetfire moved Red Alert's body out of the communications room and into a special preserving chamber deep inside the base. Once that was done, they took Thrust's body and set it into a cryo-stasis chamber, where he would be frozen and his signal would be unable to be detected.

Once they were done, they quietly moved to settle in their respective chambers, waiting for Ratchet's word on the human girls' situations.

* * *

Saber lay quietly on her bed in the sick bay, her body trembling and going over the previous moments' events too many times in her head. She couldn't control her shivering, and even after she had settled inside the warm bed she couldn't stop the convulsions. Her eyes traveled anxiously around the room, not seeming at all like herself from the way she was acting.

She spotted her sister in the bed next to her, trying to keep awake as Ratchet had ordered her to. She could only hope that the medic would be done with Rosaline soon and take care of Alexis – the girl had lost quite a bit of blood.

Her mind wandered to Ratcher and the new femme that had entered the ranks, remembering the fact that Red Alert had spoken very little about his experiences back on Cybertron. The mech had always been pretty reserved, except for the one time he had spoken about his mentor, the mech that was now aiding the Earth Autobots most likely following orders from Optimus.

"Oh god…Lillian…" She thought, remembering the bond that the girl and Red Alert had shared. She lowered her eyes, trying not to think of how much pain the poor girl could possibly be in.

* * *

As the Decepticons returned to their base, Shockwave stood in front of Megatron's old throne and looked at the three Decepticons now standing before him.

"Now that Thrust is offline, I am the new Decepticon leader." He said smugly, his optic burning brightly with power. He sat down in the throne, glancing up when he heard two pairs of footsteps approaching slowly. He chuckled softly, crossing his arms and nodding once.

"It's so nice to have you join us." He spoke, completely unaware of the reinforcements that the Autobots had also received.

* * *

**Author's Note**: OMG I'm so sorry for not updating in forever! My life has been so crazy lately…ugh! Thankfully, I'm happy! I'm going to try and update on Sundays if I don't have much homework…but once again, my apologies! I know it wasn't a very good chapter, but I wanted to update for you guys.

Until next time!


	16. Grieve

**Author's Note**: So it's been a while, huh? The only thing I can say is boy…life has been preeeet-ty busy! I could go on and on but why would I do that when I can be writing some more for you guys? Haha! My apologies for the obscenely late chapter, but better late than never, right?

* * *

It was a few hours longer before all of the girls were fixed up and ready to go. Lillian put on a strong face for everyone, and did well in hiding her pain, but it was still obvious to even the newcomers to realize how hard she was really taking the loss.

Saber stood close by, keeping a close eye on the girl to make sure she was alright. Now that her sister was fixed up, she didn't really have to worry about her safety, considering Starscream was always at the ready to protect her.

They were all called into one of the gathering rooms by Jazz and Jetfire, who stood in front as they formed a semicircle around them.

Jetfire stepped up first, trying to hold his head up as proudly as he could despite their loss. His optics scanned briefly over each one of his comrades' faces, their expressions mirrored in his golden gaze. He clenched his fists to calm himself, then relaxed them and glanced at the ground for a second before looking up to speak.

"My comrades…no words that I can say will ease the pain of what we lost today. Red Alert, a friend and most valuable teammate, will be remembered in our sparks – and hearts – forever. I know from personal experience that he wouldn't want us to mourn too excessively for his death; he would want us to push ourselves even further and fight as if we had his will and strength." He paused, looking at Lillian, "We have to remember Red Alert in our fondest of memories, because the warrior and comrade that he was deserves so. Although the wound is fresh, we must move on, even if slowly, but most certainly surely…" He paused, gravely, "The Decepticons have struck us deep, but this is not the last time. Shockwave has stolen quite a bit of information from our base, and it is certain that he will try to strike again. So what I ask of you is…prepare yourselves. We aren't sure of when exactly they will attack, but we need to be ready. Surprise will be their tactic…and strength will be our answer."

As he finished, he met the gazes of all the people in the room except for Jazz, who moved to stand beside him to speak.

"Those Deceptiscum will pay for what they've done…now let's lock and load to take them down."

* * *

Rosaline stood on the table that her and Jetfire had been working on not too long before the attack. She sat down for a moment, swaying slightly before lying down and moving closer one of Jetfire's clean cloths that he would use to clean his tools. She set it under her head and closed her eyes, obviously too tired to care whether anyone found her there or not.

Jetfire stepped in but a moment later, the door closing with a soft thud behind him. He seemed to be in conflict with himself, and was about to start muttering something when he realized the fact that there was a small human femme on his work table. Moving closer, he brought his face up to be at eye-level with her body and smiled beneath his faceplate, watching her briefly before standing up straight again.

Uneasy, he glanced about suspiciously before turning back to Rosaline, his optics dimming suddenly as a holographic image of his human form pixilated itself into matter.

Quietly, he moved to kneel next to the sleeping girl and touched her face softly with his hand, seeming to produce a type of golden glow wherever he touched her. The glow was consistent with his spark's temperature; the more her cheek glowed when he grazed it with his hand the hotter his spark became.

He took the risk of her waking up in the middle of his actions to get closer to her, bringing his nose close to her neck and shutting his eyes. He could smell faint traces of strawberry, which he had found to be his favorite Earth fruit, coming from her body and hair. He almost got too caught up in her scent to realize that she was waking up, but he immediately retreated to his usual form and the hologram flickered off, without a trace.

Rosaline groaned quietly before her eyelids fluttered open and she gasped, suddenly seeing Jetfire.

"Oh! I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to fall asleep. I'm so rude. I…" Her words trailed off and she smiled nervously up to Jetfire's looming form.

"No need to apologize, Rosaline…I should be the one apologizing for waking you up." He reached his hand out to her gently and watched as she moved to sit inside, pausing when he realized she was staring up at him. "Yes?"

"Oh, I was just…um…" She laughed nervously, her eyes widening when he brought her to be at eye-level with him.

"You can tell me, I promise I won't bite." He added, chuckling.

She smiled at his words, nodding once. "Well I was wondering…if you wouldn't mind me listening to your heart." She paused, "Well I mean…hearing your spark?" She paused again, shifting uneasily this time, "…you know what I mean."

"I do." He replied, moving her to where his spark chamber was and watching as she stood up inside his hand. He clenched his free hand when she touched his spark cover, feeling the warmth of her hands even through the metal. His optics flickered in a silent struggle when she pressed her cheek against it, her soft breath tickling the steel of his armor.

He smiled inwardly when he felt her face muscles shift to form a smile.

"It's so warm…" She whispered, staying put for another moment before stepping back and looking up at him. "Thank you, Jetfire…"

"Not a problem, Rosaline…" He replied, slightly strained from the fact that his spark temperature had shot up a few hundred degrees. He nodded at her before turning around and moving to step out of the room, and walking toward hers.

"Hey Jetfire?"

"Yes, Rosaline?"

"Do you mind if I…stay with you while you work? I…I'd rather not be by myself…"

He smiled largely beneath his faceplate. "It'd be my pleasure."

* * *

"Starscream. Starscream, stop it. I'm fine. Starscream!" Alexis yelled, gaining the 'bot's attention after the intense scrutiny he had just given her. She crossed her arms, seeming to glare playfully at the mech who now stood with optics wide.

"Fine. See if I try to help you again." He replied, harrumphing at the small girl in front of him. He couldn't hold his angry face much longer, especially after Alexis leant forward and pressed her soft lips against his cheek. He pulled her back slightly away from his face and stared at her for a moment, his lips curling up into a small smile. _"Slag your ways, woman."_ He thought jokingly, stepping out of the room and taking her outside, to the front of the base. He set her down gently before transforming into his jet form and waiting for her to climb inside.

"Shouldn't we tell the others where we're going?" She chimed quietly, adjusting her seatbelt once she was inside.

"They'll know, my mate." He replied knowingly, gently taking off into the air and gliding over the tallest trees, flying quickly so he could get to their destination as fast as possible.

* * *

Saber stood in the spot where she and Blurr had last been together, before the attack. She set her hands on her arms, shutting her eyes briefly and letting out a tired sigh.

"_I wish we would've been more prepared…poor Lillian. Red Alert was just trying to protect her; she'll never forgive herself. I hope she doesn't do anything drastic…" _She thought, trying to release the thought and stay positive. She trusted Lillian not to do anything unlike her, and taking things too far was one of those.

She was too deep in her thoughts to realize the fact that someone was approaching, and she jumped suddenly when she heard the rustle of leaves behind her. She turned, her eyes scanning about her for any sign of a person, and let out a sigh of relief when Blurr's holoform stepped forward.

"Relax, my sparkmate…it's just me." He smiled, holding his arms out toward her and watching as she stepped forward into them. He could feel his spark leap at her embrace and hugged her closer, shutting his eyes when he felt her face dig into his neck.

"Oh, Blurr…I've been so worried. Do you think Lillian will be okay?" She paused, her bottom lip quivering as she slowly pulled back. "I just know she's going to blame herself for this, and it's not her fault…I tried to imagine how she feels, but I can't even begin to fathom what I would do if I lost you…"

Blurr tilted her chin up with his hand, shaking his head. "Let's not imagine what I would do without you. The mech who touches one hair on your head maliciously will pay with his spark…" He looked into her eyes, "Don't think about it, my sparkmate…the human Lillian is strong, I can see that…she'll be able to get through this, she just needs some time."

Saber nodded, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. She pulled back after a moment and set her hand on his other cheek, smiling at him and watching as he began to lean forward for a kiss. She met him halfway, pressing her moist lips against his soft ones and leaning against him for support. Although she hadn't been too badly hurt, in times of quiet submission like these she liked the feel of his strong arms holding her close.

* * *

Ratchet stood in the medical bay with the new femme, Nightfire. The two were looming over Red Alert's seemingly lifeless body, scrutinizing it for any detail that might help them save him.

"Red Alert was strong…but the wounds on his body indicate that his pain must have been agonizing, to the point of severe internal processor damage. He put up with a lot to stay awake that long…as a medic, he should've known that it would've been better to succumb to the blackout than resist it, for all his wounds…if he had done that perhaps he would still be alive…" He muttered softly, "If he had gone into stasis lock his wounds would've stopped leaking valuable fluids and he wouldn't have suffered so much damage. I wonder what kept him awake…"

Nightfire shook her head, clenching her fists. "Those slaggers…I'll send them all to the pit for this…" She growled, watching as Ratchet struggled to open Red Alert's damaged spark chamber, "When we arrived, the human girl Lillian was near his body close to hysterics…perhaps he sacrificed his life to protect her." She scoffed, glancing up when she felt Ratchet's intense gaze on her.

"Are you implying that Red Alert sacrificing his life to protect that girl's was a mistake?" He asked, obviously trying to keep his cool.

Nightfire returned his gaze with one of her own, "Not necessarily, but I don't think he should've had to die for it. What's so special about that girl, anyway? She's just a human."

Ratchet straightened up, pointing at Nightfire and glaring angrily. "You best watch that mouthpiece of yours, Nightfire, or I'll be sure to impair it next time I give you a diagnosis." He growled, relaxing slightly, "Red Alert must've had good reason to protect that girl…and you don't need to be judging his decision. He did what he had to do, or at least, what he felt he had to do, and he doesn't need to justify good actions. You should be ashamed of yourself for speaking so lowly of a good comrade…you've insulted the girl, and you've insulted him, too." He turned back to his work, shaking his head, "I suggest you leave and reminisce over what your priorities are, Nightfire…because not judging a teammate is obviously not one of them."

Nightfire stared at Ratchet, knowing that if she said anything else to anger him he would probably follow through on his earlier threat. She turned quickly from the medic and exited the medical bay without another word, trying to keep her anger inside.

* * *

Lillian walked up to the medical bay just in time to hear Nightfire's spiteful statement.

"…_I don't think he should've had to die for it. What's so special about that girl, anyway? She's just a human…_"

Upon hearing these words she froze, her fingertips barely touching the door before she turned suddenly and ran in the opposite direction, toward the exit where Red Alert had first found her. She exited the building through the human-sized doors and ran into the woods behind the base, tears streaming down her face.

When she was too tired to run any further, she slowed down and eventually fell to her knees in a small clearing, putting her hands out in front of her and using them to support herself up, her head hanging in shame. Her body shook with sobs mixed with gasps for air, her frame trembling when the weight of the situation fell down on her.

"Oh…_god_…" She cried, tears staining her hands and the grass beneath her, "…I'm so useless! Nightfire is right…I should've never stayed here. I'm just a burden, and it cost Red Alert's life…" Her thoughts were flooded with memories of Red Alert aiding her mixed with images of his death, "Why did you kill him, Wheeljack? Why did he have to die?!..." She brought her hands up to her face, sobbing into them painfully. Her body began to tremble from the cold of the night air but she ignored it, trying to stand up.

"I'm sorry, Red Alert… I wish I wasn't so weak…" She whispered, using a tree to try and lift herself up. She supported her back against it, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. "Why did you protect me? You should've just let Wheeljack get rid of me…" She pushed herself off the tree trunk, stumbling a bit and managing to walk further before she fell forward, exhausted. "I can't…stay here…" Her eyelids drooped, her speech slowing as her body began to shut itself down, "…I'm so…so sorry…" She managed to whisper before she drifted off into unconsciousness.

The quiet rumbling of an engine was heard nearby, and headlights flickered on to low beams as the vehicle approached the young girl. A man stepped out of the car and picked her up, setting her in the passenger's seat before returning to the car and driving off, far away from the Autobot base.

* * *

Nightfire punched the wall in her room, leaving a large dent in it and growling. "Slag it all! What was I supposed to say?! I can't express my feelings anymore?" She scoffed, crossing her arms angrily and pacing around the room. She shook her head, moving to the large window and glancing out of it, in the direction of her home planet. "Optimus, why did you make me come here?" She whispered, setting her hands on the metal windowsill and curling her fingers in slightly. She looked away, optics dimming as she remembered what she and Red Alert had shared back on Cybertron.

"You were my best friend, Red Alert…why did you have to go?" She spoke quietly, "Why did you have to do it? You were always so selfless…helping me and protecting me before ever doing the same for yourself. And now this human girl comes along…and you sacrifice your life for her…" She clenched her fists, "Why, Red Alert?! Why?! You slagger…you're a medic…medics don't die in battle! It wasn't your time to go! I didn't even get to say goodbye…" She uttered softly, stepping away from the window and turning her back to it, "Who do I have now? Nobody…"

* * *

Shockwave sat anxiously in Megatron's old throne. He drummed his fingertips against the arm of the throne, trying to come up with an exact time and date that they could attack the Autobots again.

The newcomers stood in front of him, both of them very familiar. He looked up at them and stared for a moment before looking at the larger and bulkier one, his optic flickering once.

"Soundwave, I want you to take the information I removed from the Autobot base and extract whatever's valuable. When you have everything sorted out, let me know." He waited for the mech to bow and exit before turning to the remaining newcomer in the room.

"I'm glad to have you on board, Sunbeam." He paused, his optic flickering twice, "Even though you have a mild personality, you're ruthless in battle…you'll have to tell me the story of how you got chosen to become a Decepticon the next time we have time to chat." He smiled smugly, "But for now, get yourself acquainted with the base…if you see Wheeljack, tell him I need to see him."

"Yes, sir." A female voice replied, the femme smiling as she bowed to him before stepping out of the room and to the outside of the moon base. "…I have a feeling this'll be a fun fight."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well it's been forever, guys! I'm sorry it was so short, but I promise something better and longer in the next chapter! Hopefully it won't take me 3 months to update…wow. Thanks for being loyal, guys, and see you soon!


	17. Reflection

"_Lily? Lily?" _

_Lillian's formed turned around at the call, gasping when she saw Saber standing there. She ran towards the girl, wrapping her arms around her and sobbing into her shoulder. "Saber, I was so worried! What's happening? What's going on?"_

"_What's gotten into you, Lily? Everybody's fine." The girl gently pushed Lillian away, smiling at her. She took a few steps back, pointing at the girl. "You need to calm down."_

"_But…but…Red Alert's gone. And it's all my fault…and I can't sleep. I've been too worried with everything and—" _

_Saber interrupted her, her smile fading off and turning into a grimace. "You're right. It IS all your fault. Especially Red Alert's death. Everything is not okay because of you."_

"_Wh-what?" Lillian stepped back, watching as Red Alert's dying frame suddenly appeared behind Saber. She screamed, shaking her head. "No! NO! Why is this happening?!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks as her body trembled, "Please stop…I can't take this anymore!" _

"NO!" The scream bounced inside the car a few times as Lillian's small frame shook, twisting and turning in the passenger's seat. The 'driver' tried to keep calm as they arrived at their destination, but the truth was, he had been trying to ignore the whimpers and sobs she had been emitting throughout the trip. He had driven for at least two hours at top speed, using off-roads so nobody would suspect anything. However, he had almost been driven to madness by having to listen to Lillian's pained mutterings from all the nightmares she was having.

He slowed to a stop outside the small abandoned home, stepping out of the car and moving to the other side. He popped the passenger door open and picked Lillian up, being careful to not wake her up as he made his way into the home and set her on a comfortable bed inside the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and walked toward the dining room table, picking up a piece of paper and writing a short message. When he was done, he set the paper, after folding it, back down on the table and locked the door as he exited.

The next sound heard was a strange mechanical whirring and the squealing of tires against a dirt road.

* * *

Lillian awoke after a strangely peaceful rest, her eyelids fluttering open as she groaned. She sat up, rubbing her forehead before looking around, her eyes widening.

"Oh…my..." Her words trailed off; her body trembled in slight uneasiness as she attempted to get off the bed. She used the edge of it to lean on, feeling slightly weak but obviously wary.

"This is…too confusing…" She whispered, walking out of the bedroom and looking for any signs that would aid her in figuring out where she was. Her eyes fell upon a note on a table and she gravitated towards it, picking the folded note up in trembling hands. Her eyes began to scan over the words, as if thirsty for an answer.

'_Lillian,_

_You needed to be away from everything. Here is your safe haven.'_

It was unsigned. She began to panic and read the note four times over before throwing it on the table in frustration. She looked around her frantically, her breath increasing to rapid, short bursts. She bolted to the door as a last resort, twisting the knob, unlocking it, and then running outside, gasping at the sight. She continued to run until she reached a dirt road that stretched on for miles, causing her to collapse to her knees in despair and let out a loud sob.

"There's nothing for miles…nobody knows where I am, and neither do I! This is worse than a nightmare…" She slowly stood, knees threatening to buckle under the sudden weight she felt on her shoulders.

"I'm so…so sorry, everyone…" She uttered quietly, turning her back on the road and moving back towards the only thing that was familiar to her now – that house.

* * *

It was dark in Jetfire's workshop by the time he got done finishing one of his projects. He leaned back to admire his work, and was about to say something when he realized that Rosaline had fallen asleep again. He moved towards her slowly, bringing his face down to get a closer look at the girl. He heightened his video and audio receptors, zooming in on her sleeping face and noticing the smile that lingered faintly on her lips.

He admired the curvature of her face, the cheekbones set just right on her face and the natural curve of her eyelashes, knowing that behind those eyelids lay two gorgeous, cerulean-colored orbs. His optics ambled over the way that her bangs lay softly on her forehead and cheek, and noticed the way that the naturally soft curls rested against her arms and fell in gentle cascades down her back. He watched the way her small body moved up and down with each breath, giving her life with each intake of the precious oxygen.

Without even thinking about it, he activated his holo-form and appeared standing before her, before kneeling down and moving close to her face. He moved his hand forward, deactivating the holo-matter and merely admiring the way her lips were shaped, tracing the outline with his thumb. He froze when he heard her mutter something, but when he realized she wasn't going to wake up, he moved slightly closer and leaned his ear towards her.

When he heard her utter his name softly, in a relaxed, happy tone, his holo-form flickered twice and began to glow brightly, causing him to immediately shut it off and take a step back from the girl, turning around and putting his hands up to his face. He tried to touch his spark chamber but it was burning, too hot for even his battle-hardened hands to touch.

"Jetfire?" A soft voice uttered, tired but concerned.

He turned back around to look Rosaline, noticing the way her cerulean eyes looked up at him and twinkled in the gentle light inside the room. He tried to compose himself as she stood up, rubbing her arms and obviously showing concern.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, her voice fluctuating between hoarse and clear. She cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes and looking up at him again, waiting for a response.

"P-perfectly fine, Rosaline…" He replied quietly, sad that he had awakened her. He moved closer again, looking at her and shaking his head. "I apologize for waking you," He spoke, obviously shameful, "it was not at all my intent."

Rosaline smiled, shaking her hand at him, "Oh, don't worry about it. I feel bad for falling asleep; you must think I'm not interested in your work at all." She shook her head, letting out a nervous chuckle and looking back up at him with curiosity. She waited a moment before parting her lips to speak, a smile tugging at the ends of her lips.

"Hey, Jetfire…" She paused, waiting for his confirmation that he had heard her, "You have a holo-form, too…don't you?" She asked softly, almost wishing that he hadn't heard her. Unfortunately for her, Autobots had very sensitive audio receptors and he had heard her – loud and clear.

"Yes…" He paused a moment, obviously seeing what she was getting to, and smiled beneath his faceplate. "…would you like to see it?"

Rosaline's eyes lifted to his and she smiled, nodding vigorously. "I'd love to; if you insist." She gave him a playful wink with the last part, obviously curious to see what he would look like.

"Please close your eyes for a moment, until I tell you it is alright for you to look." Jetfire requested, watching as she followed suit to his orders and activated his holo-form, hesitating before activating the holo-matter as well and appearing in human form in front of her.

"You may open your eyes."

Rosaline did so, slowly, and gasped at the sight before her. It was almost as if he had carved the perfect features, in her opinion, for a guy and modified it into a Jetfire-looking holo-form. She took a step forward, having to look up only slightly into his golden eyes, which, upon closer inspection, had hints of dark orange around the edges of his pupils. She stood before him, flabbergasted by the realistic features and taking another moment to admire his strong body and short, tossed light brown hair.

"Jetfire, you're…" Her words trailed off and she took another step forward, not even realizing how close she was to him and staring deep into his eyes. She raised her hands to gently touch his cheeks, her fingertips grazing the soft, smooth flesh and causing her to tilt her head slightly to the side, noticing the way his pupils seemed to dilute slightly at her sight. In the back of her head, she remembered reading somewhere that you could tell how much a person cares and is being honest with you by how diluted their eyes were, and she had no doubt in her mind that Jetfire's look held more than just friendship inside.

Without thinking, she leaned just a little bit closer, to the point where their bodies pressed against each other gently and their lips were mere inches away from touching. She could feel his heartbeat through his chest and noticed how fast it was, and finally realized that her heart was beating just as fast as his, almost as if their hearts were racing to see who'd win. She pressed her fingertips a little bit more against his cheeks, and began to close her eyes when suddenly, the weight in front of her disappeared, and she was merely pressing against air, falling forward. She managed to catch herself, tripping a few times until she was caught by a swift hand and she looked up, in confusion, to Jetfire's emotion-hiding optics.

"My apologies, Miss Rosaline…" He said quietly, turning towards the exit of the room and walking forward, "I…I do believe it is time you went to bed, isn't it?" He asked, trying to hide emotion in his voice and fighting a losing battle with his spark, which ailed him to give in to his emotions.

When he finally appeared in front of her room, he gently set her down and nodded once. "Have pleasant rest, Miss Rosaline." He muttered softly, standing up and walking off, turning a corner into another hallway.

Rosaline stood dumb-struck, her cheeks flushed with emotion and, especially, embarrassment. It took her a moment to realize that she should go inside, and closed the door behind her when she did so. She walked to her bed and, removing her shoes, sat down and reminisced over what had just happened.

"Oh god…" She whispered, putting her hand up to her mouth, "I'm so…_stupid_…" Warm tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she barely had enough strength to stand up and change into a beautiful, flowing white nightgown before looking toward her window. "What was I thinking? Thinking that he actually _liked_ me…he's a machine, a robot…they don't have _emotions_…" She stifled a sob, gulping, "…but he seemed so…so—" She cut herself off, shaking her head and moving to sit on her bed again.

Jetfire set his back against the metal wall, having a mental battle with himself over what he should have done. "I did the right thing, didn't I? I'm trying to stay away from her, that way she'll be safer…that way, she won't have to worry about me getting hurt in battle. I'm doing what's best for her…right?" He spoke quietly, shaking his head and suddenly hearing strong, Autobot-like footsteps approaching. He looked up, noticing Blurr moving towards him and stared at the mech, trying not to show his frustration.

Blurr stopped, looking at him. "There's no way you can hide something like that from me, Jetfire." He said simply, crossing his arms. "Let me guess – this has something to do with Rosaline?"

The mech simply grumbled, crossing his arms as well and turning his head away.

"I did what's best for her, and that's all that matters."

Blurr stared at him for a moment, letting out a soft chuckle. "I learned this lesson the hard way, Jetfire, but I'll give you a hint – you may _think_ you're doing the best for her…but are you doing what she truly wants?" With those words said, Blurr simply turned and continued on his way, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Jetfire looked at his fading figure, processing Blurr's words over and over in his main processor. He lingered in the spot for a moment before it finally hit him and his spark jumped, causing him to hurry to Rosaline's room and knock on the door softly. When there was no reply, he used his password to enter and look inside, noticing there were no signs of the female in sight.

"Where could she have gone in such a short time?" He whispered, trying to think of the likeliest place where she would be – and then it finally hit him.

He almost sprinted to the exit of the base and made his way outside, looking around at the giant trees and trying to think quickly. "Where could she have gone…where—I know it!" He made his way towards the spot where the two had first talked, regressing to the memory and remembering the main highlight of their conversation – the topic of sparkmates.

When he finally reached the spot, he slowed down and moved quietly, crouching down and using stealth to be silent as he approached. When he saw her, his spark began to heat up again, causing him to grip the tree he was hiding behind with enough force to crush it into splinters. He managed to relax before it got to that point, however, and noticed the way that the breeze carried her nightgown and hair to one side. He heard her sniffle, and immediately picked up on the fact that her tear ducts were releasing beads of moisture onto her rosy cheeks, causing them to twinkle in the moonlight.

He moved forward quietly, speaking soft.

"Rosaline?"

The girl jumped a bit at the voice, not expecting him to find her. She wiped away a few tears and shook her head, sniffling again.

"I'd rather be left alone, Jetfire…please, just…go away." She didn't mean for it to be as harsh as it truly sounded, but she _really_ didn't want him to see her in this condition. She put her hands on her arms and stifled a sob, trying not to seem weak in front of this battle-hardened warrior.

When she didn't hear a reply, she figured he had left and shook her head, feeling a few more hot tears roll down her cheeks as she shut her eyelids tight. She didn't even realize the person approaching her until they spun her around, causing her to gasp and open her eyes in surprise.

Jetfire's holo-form held her close, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other wiping away a tear on her cheek. He looked into her eyes, and noticed the tiny beads of water hanging for dear life on her eyelashes. Her blue eyes rivaled the ocean's color in the moonlight, and he felt her put her hands on his chest in confusion, looking at him and trying to search his golden eyes for answers.

"I'm so, so sorry, Rosaline…" He whispered, bringing his face closer to hers, just like it had been only moments earlier. He felt her body relax and she brought her hands up to his cheeks, one of them going further to explore the soft texture of his hair.

Rosaline could barely believe it, and she looked at him, trying to figure out what had changed. She didn't get much time, however, because he began to lean forward and she closed her eyes, feeling his lips press against hers ever so gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning forward into the kiss and feeling him reply with a more deep and passionate kiss, holding her so close that she had to stand on her tiptoes before he pulled her off the ground, swinging her around once before pulling back and setting her down. He began to kiss away her tears, trailing down to her neck and then her collarbone before looking back up at her again, shaking his head.

"I apologize Rosaline, for everything…I thought I could stay away from you, but there was no possibility. You, Rosaline Adair, are my sparkmate, and I wouldn't change it for Cybertron. Please forgive me, Rosaline, I know these tears you have shed are for my misconduct, and I am deeply grieved." He shook his head, looking at her, "I am so, so sorry…"

Rosaline looked at him, her eyes sparkling as she smiled. She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck and whispering in his ear. "Shh, Jetfire…it's okay. I understand. I forgive you, for everything. It doesn't matter, I'm happy now. God, Jetfire, I'm so happy…" She whispered, moving back to look at him and kissing his face before moving to his lips again, "Thank you, thank you so much…"

* * *

Alexis looked out the window of the jet, admiring the ocean below and the small bits of landscape they passed, which quickly became smaller and smaller in her view. It was obvious that they were heading farther and farther up into the sky, but Alexis would've never imagined the place he was actually taking her.

"Close your eyes." He ordered simply, kicking on the heating unit so that Alexis wouldn't be too uncomfortable when they reached their destination.

Doing so, Alexis fidgeted a bit in her seat and set her hands on her arms, her face trying to hide curiosity. "Where are we going, Starscream?" She asked softly, waiting a moment for his reply.

"You'll see, Alexis. Be patient." He responded calmly, an unusual trait for his character, but he had to concentrate deeply on his task – especially since he didn't want anything to go wrong. After a few minutes of this, he finally spoke again, trying to hide the smile in his voice.

"Alright Alexis, you may look."

The young girl immediately opened her eyes, causing her to gasp at the sight before her. She pressed herself closer to the window, her breath causing it to fog in a circular spot.

"Oh my god, Starscream…this is so gorgeous…" She whispered, glancing at the screen and smiling widely, "Thank you – thank you so much…" She watched as he turned around, spotting the moon just before it faded from her view. "I never would've thought I would be able to see the stars someday…that is a true gift…" She leaned forward, pressing her lips against the screen and pulling back afterwards, jumping when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look at it, she saw that it was Starscream's holo-form and let out an astonished gasp, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh Starscream…you don't know how much this means to me…" She whispered in his ear, feeling his strong arms wrap around her waist.

"I may not, but I do have a good idea." He replied, letting out a soft chuckle as he held her close.

* * *

Saber walked around the base, searching for Lillian. She had already looked outside and, finding no trace of her, began to search her usual residing spots. When she didn't find her there, either, she began to worry and call out her name, eventually ending up in Ratchet's medical bay and looking up at the ever-alert medic.

"Ratchet, I'm really sorry to bother you, but…"

"What is it, young one? Out with it." He replied, waving his hand at her from where he stood, working with his medical tools with his back to her.

"I…I can't find Lillian anywhere."

Upon hearing her words, Ratchet dropped one of his tools and ignored the noise it made when it slammed against the metal table, swiftly turning to look at the girl. _"She couldn't have…__**heard**__ Nightfire, could she?"_ He thought, trying to push the thought out of her head and picked up Saber gently, bringing her up to his eye-level.

"Are you sure? You searched outside?"

"That's the first place I went to…I searched out there as much as a human can without giving up." She shook her head, "I'm really worried; could something have happened to her?" She asked, concern obvious in her voice as she looked at him.

"Let's not jump to conclusions…" He muttered, although he had a bad feeling in the pit of his central processor, "…I'll help you search. If we can't find her, we'll let the others know. It's no use worrying them if the girl perhaps fell asleep somewhere."

"I don't know, Ratchet…this isn't like her. Lillian doesn't just run off somewhere without telling someone, y'know? It's just…not the way she is." Saber shrugged, "But it can't hurt to look. Hopefully she _did_ just fall asleep somewhere and nothing more."

* * *

Sunbeam stood amidst the Decepticon base, looking around the room where she would be staying. She let out a soft chuckle, shrugging her shoulders before stepping back out of the room, glancing to her left and seeing a mech approaching.

She paused a moment before speaking, crossing her arms and staring at him without much emotion. "Shockwave told me to let you know that he wants to see you." She spoke, watching as the mech's pace slowed down before picking up again.

"What are you, his lapdog?" Wheeljack replied, scoffing at the femme as he walked past her, not thinking twice about his words.

"Careful, Wheeljack…I may have a mild personality but that doesn't mean I can't hurt you." She retorted, walking off in the opposite direction, to the outside of the base to glance up at the stars.

Wheeljack made his way to the throne room, spotting Shockwave and trying to hold back a sly remark. He moved to stand in front of him, before remembering his new position as Decepticon leader and shifting to kneel on his left knee, bowing his head.

"You wished to speak to me, Shockwave?"

Shockwave looked at the Decepticon, standing up slowly and strolling until he stood in front of him. Without wasting another moment, he lifted his leg and kicked Wheeljack in the chest, causing the surprised Decepticon to fly through the air and into the metal wall behind him.

Shockwave approached him, waiting for the dust to settle before looking down at the enraged Decepticon.

"Stand down, Wheeljack. You need to learn your place again in this faction. If you are to earn any type of title in my army, you need to be strong, ruthless, and powerful – I saw weakness in your optics before we left the battle with the Autobots. If I have to tear that fleshling piece by piece in front of your optics for you to understand the message, I will do so – gladly. In order for her to stay alive, you have to fight your hardest against the Autobots, whether she's there or not. If she's in the way, blast her aside." He narrowed his optics, watching as Wheeljack curled his fingers into fists angrily, "Consider this a favor, Wheeljack – you should be lucky I didn't squash her then." He turned, walking back towards his new throne and sitting down, optics dimming as if he had closed his eyelids. He set his arms on each armrest, frowning before speaking again.

"Now, lead yourself out and think about your next moves in this war. If you decide to go against my orders, consider yourself a traitor and an ally to the Autobots. However, I doubt they'll take you in after what you did to their _precious_ medic." He chuckled, his voice growing louder, taking pleasure at Wheeljack's expense.

Wheeljack growled, trying hard to hold himself back from tearing Shockwave to pieces. He stood up, debris falling from his armor in chunks as he stepped out of the hole his body had made, and glared angrily at Shockwave as he stepped out of the main room.

"_That bastard will pay…oh yes, he'll __**pay**__…"_

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone! Sorry it took FOREVER for me to get an update out! It's finally Spring Break though, so I had the time and the inspiration! Hopefully I'll be able to get a second update out of this week off from school, but if not, my apologies once again.

Thanks for reading, and staying loyal to this author; I owe you guys!


	18. Revelation

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! I decided to start talking to everyone again, since I'm not in a rush and I'm feeling in a bit of a good mood! ;)

**Tlcoopi7**: As much as you liked reading it, I loved writing it!

**MajsanWorld**: Aww, thank you! This update is going to be for all of you that missed 'em. ;P I can't tell you what's going to happen with Wheeljack and Lillian just yet…but there'll be pleasant and, of course, some _un_pleasant surprises in the chapters to come. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**Azura Soul Reaver**: Thank you! Man, I forgot how much I liked talking to you guys. :)

**Mistress Megatron**: Well, you're just going to love me now, aren't you? ;D What can ya say about Wheeljack, am I right? I feel sorry for the both of 'em! I felt kinda bad about the Rosaline thing at first, so I decided to let Jetfire redeem himself! I'd say it wasn't half bad, wouldn't you?  
I'm sorry about no Saber and Blurr! I promise to throw some in in this chapter!  
This update is also for you! :)

'**HURRICANE'Hannah**: I feel a little bit sorry for poor Lillian…she gets herself into one mess and then another, doesn't she? And I agree about Jetfire…it was about time! And I figured Blurr, being an old friend of Jetfire's, would at least help him out with the ladies. ;) Which, I must admit, Blurr being good with the ladies? That just doesn't seem possible!  
I agree, Jetfire's uncanny ability to waltz in at the most awkward moments has escaped me. I need to do that again; I especially love writing about his reactions. And Saber has an uncanny ability of her own – like you said, to know when one is missing.  
I'm cheering a little myself for Wheeljack, the poor guy doesn't even know _what_ to do with himself! Ah, to be a Decepticon…  
Talk to you soon! :)

**KnucklesRedFury207.2**: I absolutely _love_ writing about the couples! They're just so cute. And this update is for you, as well!

* * *

Two days.

It had been exactly two days since she had awakened in this strange house, which, as every day passed along, seemed to grow more and more like a home. Lillian couldn't figure out, for the mind of her, what kept her here – was it safety? The fact that nobody judged her here? Of course, how could they, when there was _nobody_ else around?

She let a dry sigh escape her pink lips, her hands trembling slightly as she held the hot mug of chamomile tea in her hands. She looked down at the steam, blowing softly against it and watching as it parted without resistance, allowing her a full view of her reflection in the water. She noticed the way that her usually straight, dark brown hair now fell in waves, her bangs dangling uselessly against the sides of her face. She looked into her eyes, their usually light-grey demeanor reflecting an uncharacteristic sadness behind them, causing them to look darker than they usually were. And then the steam was back again, tickling her nose and bringing the sweet scent of chamomile into her nostrils, causing her body to relax and giving her enough peace of mind at the moment to shut her eyes.

But as soon as she did so, she saw them – the painful, wretched memories of Red Alert's lifeless body in the base; the way that Wheeljack had looked at her after exterminating Red Alert: those optics that had burned so deeply into her that she could still feel the scars deep within her heart.

With a shudder and a quiet gasp, her eyes snapped open and she gripped the mug even tighter, ignoring the pain that the hot ceramic was causing her from being pressed too long and too closely to her skin. Her eyes, filled with fear, stared out the window in front of the dining room table she was sitting by, her legs propped up on the same wooden chair she sat in.

After staring for a few seconds, she finally peeled her gaze away from the window and down at the mug, reaching it up to her quivering lips and taking a slow, deliberate drink, refreshing her vocal chords and her esophagus as the steaming liquid made its way into her fragile body. After a few minutes more of drinking until the mug was half-empty, she set her feet down against the carpeted floor and shivered a little, standing up and moving toward the kitchen, which was adjacent to her bedroom, and perpendicular to the dining room. She stepped into the small space with ease, considering her size, and turned the mug over in the sink, watching the previously steaming liquid enter the drain with a strange sound. She moved the mug away from the sink and set it in the dishwasher next to it, letting out a tired sigh as she closed the washer's door and pressed herself against the half-wall behind her.

Although the home wasn't large, she had to admit it accommodated her quite nicely. As soon as one stepped in the door there would be a small corner table to their left, taking up some empty space, and to their right would be the round, dining room table with four chairs. To the far right of the entrance was her bedroom, with the door slightly ajar to allow the gentle breeze inside the home to roll in and out. As soon as one stepped outside of her bedroom, there was another door on the right – the bathroom, which contained all of the necessary things a female might need or have at home. Directly across the main door was the kitchen, which seemed almost like a hallway with part of the space taken up for a stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, and other things. The kitchen and living room were connected, with the separator only being the half-wall she was leaning against, made of brick but covered with wood platelets. In the living room there was a fireplace directly across from the couch, which sat resting against the half-wall. A few feet away from the fireplace there was a bookshelf, filled to the brim with books that all caught her interest – some that she had read, some that she hadn't. There was another couch, or rather, a loveseat, adjacent to the bookshelf – under a window, in case she wanted more reading light. Next to that couch was a door which led to the backyard, between the loveseat and the half-wall separating the two rooms. There was a radio in her bathroom and in the living room, the latter of which she would mainly listen to when she was cooking something.

It wasn't much, but whoever had decided to leave her there had surely taken her interests at hand. There was barely anything inside the house she frowned upon – even the small kitchen she didn't seem to mind.

With a sigh, Lillian looked towards the door and cautiously began to step towards it, her trembling hand reaching out and twisting the knob open. She held her breath as she pulled on the knob, staring down at the brick step where her 'Welcome' mat rested.

And sure enough, there it was.

She had been convinced that someone in the base knew she was here when she had discovered the first one two days ago, but those thoughts had quickly vanished when no one had come to her rescue, leaving her to feel completely helpless inside the hidden home. With a sigh, she crouched down and picked up the heavy box, kicking the door closed behind her as she dragged it –and herself– to the dining room table and set it down, heaving a sigh as she stared at it for a few, good seconds. She finally gathered up the nerve to open it, just as she had the others, and pulled the string off the top, undoing the bow and setting it aside. She reached carefully to the flaps, opening them with such a painfully careful slowness that she was afraid she was becoming too paranoid to function correctly. With one look inside, her whole face revealed a relieved expression and she began to take out the contents one by one.

First, there was the food items – snacks, drinks, canned foods, and the like. Then, there were the bathroom items, more books, and lastly, clothing. She had found that whoever sent her these packages not only knew her size, but had pretty good taste, too. She was unsure of whether to trust these items or not, but she had been deposited here with only the clothes on her back and, so far, she hadn't gotten sick or truly ill from anything she had eaten or used, much less worn. _"So far, so good…" _She thought, obviously beginning to trust whatever or _who_ever brought her these items.

Still, she couldn't help but feel a pang of mistrust deep down in her stomach every time she used one of the items; however, at the moment, she didn't seem to have much of a choice.

"You've really gotten yourself into a good one this time, Lillian." She muttered softly, moving to place the items in their respective spots. She began to wonder when these packages got delivered, and especially, by _whom_. She needed to make a plan to meet this strange investor, and, if all else failed, _thank_ him for giving her food to keep her alive. She knew that she had been taken from the base all but abruptly, which seemed more like a kidnapping than anything else. But, it seemed, there was nothing she could do – the only signs of life had been the trees outside and these packages being delivered to her every day. She didn't even know which way to go to get help, much less if she would actually receive it. No, until she had a better plan, she would have to stick it out in this place and, hopefully, figure out who the person was that delivered her these packages.

* * *

It had been two days since Saber had gotten any kind of sleep, and it showed in the young woman's eyes as she squinted to review the security cameras inside the base. She was on her last roll and, truthfully, about ready to give up all hope of figuring out where Lillian had gone. Surely, if the girl wanted to come back, she would've contacted them by now?

"_But maybe she can't."_ She thought, the words striking her painfully as a slap to the face would have. Lillian _had_ to have been taken from the base; there was no doubt about it in Saber's mind – but by who? Who could possibly know not only about the Autobots, but about their base, and enough about _it_ to figure out where Lillian would be? Or was it truly about Lillian? Maybe they just wanted _any_ of the humans, and Lillian was easiest to take due to her state of being?

All these questions swam around Saber's head as she watched Nightfire walk outside of Ratchet's medical bay, looking quite flustered, two nights ago and head toward her room. Something seemed to snap inside of Saber's head immediately, waving a red flag and honking an annoying, obnoxious horn. She reached toward the headset nearest to her and immediately placed it on her right ear, pushing a button and speaking a single name before she heard a radio link open with the medical officer.

She pushed the pause button on the video feed and began to rewind to the moment when Nightfire stormed out of the room, obviously looking pissed about _something_.

"Hey Ratchet…I have a question."

The medic, having no time for nonsense at the moment – considering he had still quite a bit of work to do on the other soldiers that had been injured in the battle – gave a little huff and sounded slightly annoyed when he answered the young woman.

"How can I be of assistance?"

Saber ignored the tone and simply continued on, staring intently at the screen before her. "What were you and Nightfire talking about two nights ago that caused her to storm out of the medical bay like an angry cat?"

The link suddenly became silent, and Saber peeled her gaze away from the screen to look out the corner of her eye at the headset, as if it was Ratchet himself standing there. When she heard a brief shuffling on the other line she blinked a few times, hoping she hadn't barged upon a touchy subject.

"Red Alert's death…" The medic finally responded, and, with a little more effort needed to continue, added, "…and Lillian."

Saber's eyes widened to the size of coins and she immediately began to play back the video a little more, moving her face closer towards the screen to see the small girl standing at the doorway. She played the feed, zooming in closer to see Lillian's facial expressions turn from uneasy, to shocked, and, finally, to hurt. She zoomed back out a little, bringing her hand up to her mouth and watching as the girl turned suddenly, hurrying away from the medical bay and disappearing from the camera's view.

"How did I not catch that earlier?" She whispered, remembering that she had merely thought that Lillian hadn't wanted to disturb Ratchet with his work and had run off to do something else.

"Saber?"

The old medic's voice caught her attention, causing her head to snap up and bringing her to clear her throat.

"Yeah?"

"I apologize for not telling you earlier, young one. My mind has been so clouded with Red Alert's death and all my work that I couldn't seem to bring myself to tell you." He paused, letting out a sigh, "And that was one of my grave mistakes. However, I did punish Nightfire for her words, but I haven't seen her since. Red Alert was her best friend back on our home planet, and to come back and see his spark extinguished must've caused her a bit of pain. It is understandable, yet the words she spoke were unforgivable." He paused, a clatter sounding on his end of the link as he set a wrench down without care, "Lillian heard her, didn't she?"

Saber nodded slowly, as if Ratchet could see her, then parted her lips to speak. "I'm afraid so, Ratchet…and I have no idea where she's gone."

* * *

Saber stepped outside of the base, retracing Lillian's steps as far as the camera had allowed her to see. She figured, by the trajectory of Lillian's running, she hadn't made any turns except to get out of an oncoming tree's way, so her best bet was to keep going in a straight line. When she finally reached a small clearing, she stopped – almost as if intuition told her that this had been Lillian's resting point. _"Or kidnapping point…"_

She shook her head to relieve the thought from her mind and sighed, setting her hands on her arms and shaking her head. "Lillian, what happened to you?" She whispered, a worried look flashing upon her features. She barely registered the hum of an engine behind her until someone wrapped their arms around her, holding her close and digging his face into her neck, smelling the sweet scent of her mango orange shampoo. She let out a soft gasp, obviously taken by surprise, and turned her head a bit to see shaggy brown hair that she immediately recognized. A smile graced her lips as he turned her around, resting a hand on the small of her back and causing her to look up at him.

"What's _this_ all about?" She asked teasingly, playing with a lock of his hair.

Blurr's holo-form smiled, bringing his forehead to rest on hers as he locked gazes with her. "I've…missed you." He said quietly, his smile fading a bit as he prepared to reveal the true reason why he was acting this way. "Ever since Lillian disappeared, something has been urging me to protect you, to stay with you at all times." The holo-form shook his head, "I don't know what it is, but I can't let you out of my sight. I've got this sense telling me that something bad might happen, and I don't want anything to take me by surprise…especially when it comes to you."

Saber stared at him, knowing full well how hard it had been for him to tell her all that so openly. Even though the two were so close, they had not truly bonded yet and she couldn't sense all that he was thinking. Without the bond, there was no way for her to know if he was hiding something from her – but with, she would know completely. She had been thinking deeply about it lately, but with Lillian's recent disappearance all of those thoughts had gotten pushed aside and finding her had become her priority.

Saber looked at him with concern before taking him by surprise and pressing her lips against his, wrapping her arms gently around his neck and causing their bodies to touch instantaneously, their warmth enveloping each other and causing Blurr to pull her possessively, almost brusquely, even more toward him.

After a moment of their heated passion, the two pulled back and stared at each other – Blurr with his fierce, crimson optics burning against Saber's deep, hazel orbs. The latter moved her hands to touch his cheeks, and looked at him before whispering, "I will stay by your side as long as you want me to, Blurr. If it calms you, I will be more than happy to oblige."

The holo-form gave her a tentative smile before bringing her closer once more, their lips barely an inch away from touching. As he spoke, his hot breath tested Saber's endurance by caressing her lips, "Thank you, my mate."

* * *

Jetfire stood in his usual work place, messing with one of Red Alert's left behind inventions that the two had been working on. Every once in a while he would swiftly sneak a peek at Rosaline as she tried to repair her phone, which had sadly been dropped from her height when Skywarp had held her in the air. Jetfire had to admit, the poor thing looked beyond repair – but he admired Rosaline's determination to make the stubborn thing work again.

As the two worked together in silence, Jetfire couldn't help but think of two nights ago when they had finally confessed their feelings for each other. Although he was ashamed to had been the one to cause beautiful Rosaline's tears, he knew that he had somehow redeemed himself in her eyes – by apologizing, for everything. It took a true mech to apologize, especially to their sparkmate, for causing them pain but not only had he done that – he had also finally given in to his spark's plea for the young girl and allowed himself to hold her, with her permission.

The way that their lips had touched couldn't seem to leave his mind, and there was such a joyous air about him that it wouldn't be surprising if he infected others with it. Although, he _did_ feel somewhat guilty for being in such a great mood, especially after what had happened to Lillian. He knew that Saber had been working her aft off to try and find the girl's whereabouts, for so far, no luck.

A cry of triumph startled him from his thoughts, and he turned quickly to look at Rosaline, who was holding her phone high up in the air and doing a strange human dance that he had never seen before.

"I take it you fixed it, Rosaline?" He asked, a smile hiding behind his faceplate but showing eagerly in his golden optics.

"You bet I did!" She let out a squeal of joy, "I didn't think I could do it, myself…but I did it!" She laughed, looking up at him and holding the phone so he could see, "See? It's working all over again. I don't know how I did it."

"You're a special one, Rosaline. I've noticed that if humans truly set their mind to something, they can achieve it, even if it seems impossible. You, my dear, seem to have that trait as well." He responded, watching as her cheeks flushed at his compliment and she looked away, shyly.

"Thanks, Jetfire. But I have to admit…you gave me some inspiration."

"Oh? How so, my flower?" He asked tenderly, causing her cheeks to turn an even darker shade of red.

"Well, I've been watching you and how diligently you do your work…so I figured, if I work like you do, I could do it. And I did! So, thanks again, Jetfire." She beamed up at him, her smile causing her pearly whites to shine with the light.

"You did it through your own power and will, Rosaline. Though I must admit, I am flattered by your observations." He reached a fingertip down, setting it gently against her cheek and looking at her. _"I am one lucky mech…"_ He thought, admiring the young woman's youthful beauty as she stared back up at him, a gentle twinkle in her eye.

* * *

Starscream sat in the woods, back resting against a strong, old tree. His crimson optics looked off to the distance, causing his memories to return fleetingly to him in strong, painful waves.

He began to remember his loath for Megatron, causing a small smirk to flinch on the side of his lips at the memory of his death. Although the mech hadn't been there physically, the AllSpark had allowed him to see his old leader's demise clearly as if he had been there himself. Despite Megatron's words after Starscream's death, the mech couldn't seem to let go of the way that he had been humiliated by the leader so many times, often in front of whole armies and what's worse, armies of Autobots.

His free hand began to twitch a little at the memories, causing the mech to switch his thoughts to the most recent battle against the Decepticons, which had ended with casualties on both sides. Truthfully, he cared nothing for anybody else at the base other than Alexis, including the deceased Red Alert. However, he knew that the Autobot had died honorably and he would treat it as such – a death on the battlefield at the hands of their enemies.

Starscream knew that the Decepticons would try to hurt him by way of Alexis, but he wouldn't let that happen. He _couldn't_, for Primus' sake! Alexis was the only one that seemed to actually care about him, his thoughts, and his spark. He almost, _almost_ hated to admit that he couldn't live without her, but deep down he knew it was the truth. The young girl had ignored all pleas and remarks by the others and befriended _him_, Starscream, the king of traitors and deceivers. He knew how much he had hurt young Alexis with his betrayal, and he could never forgive himself for being so incompetent – he forsaked her friendship, her _love_, for a taste of power that never came. Instead, he traded her for more humiliation and pain at the hands of Thrust, that miserable son-of-a-glitch whom _he_ had eagerly killed in that last battle.

He knew that the base was morose, not only because of Red Alert's death but because of the human femme Lillian's disappearance, which had caused Alexis' sibling to turn the world seemingly upside down in trying to find the missing girl. He let out a soft, dry chuckle.

They wouldn't find her.

Something had told Starscream that Lillian's disappearance had been Decepticon-initiated, which meant either one of two things: the pathetic femme was in captivity somewhere, or dead.

He couldn't help admitting that the way he spoke about the girl made him sound more and more like a Decepticon, but there wasn't much he could do about that – if these humans couldn't take care of themselves, then he sure as the Pit wasn't going to help – his only concern lay within the sleeping girl in his semi-enclosed hand, who rested so peacefully and believed him to be so _trustworthy_ that she wouldn't think twice about the fact that he'd never hurt her. And you know what?

She was right.

Starscream could never, _ever_ bring himself to touch one hair on the young woman's head with evil intentions. Although he couldn't trust himself with the other harassing humans, deep down he knew that Alexis was the one femme that he would always protect – even if it cost him his spark.

Almost as if on cue, Starscream felt a gentle disturbance on his palm. With further investigation, as well as a quick scan of the young girl, he noticed that she was beginning to awaken and he lifted his hand to be at her eye-level, smirking playfully.

"Get enough recharge, little Alexis?" He teased, watching as he expression went from tired to embarrassed within a few seconds.

"Hey, I am not _little_…" She defended, sticking her tongue out at him and giving him a playful glare. "It's not my fault you're as tall as a building!"

The mech clicked his tongue in response, giving her another smirk before standing up and heading back towards the base. "And it isn't _my_ fault you're as tall as my finger." He replied jokingly, hearing the soft 'hmph' as her reply and glancing at her briefly from the corner of his optics.

* * *

"_Okay. It's now or never."_

Iris approached Jazz quietly, trying to keep herself from turning back. She held her ground when she finally stood next to him, seeming to burn a hole in the side of his head as she tried to get his attention.

"Jazz, I have to talk to you about something."

The second-in-command didn't peel his gaze away from the screen, where Optimus Prime stood showing him and the other attentive soldiers actually in Cybertron some plans of defense.

"Baby, can't we talk about this later? I'm with the big boss here, lil' mama."

Iris tried to remain calm. "No. It can't wait."

"Sexy, honey, I'm with the big man—"

"Jazz…" Her voice became more and more irritated by the second. She hadn't noticed that Optimus Prime had his hand on a button that would allow everyone in the room on Cybertron to hear Jazz as he was on Earth, incase he also had an idea.

"Baby, just hang on a—"

"JAZZ!" Her voice teetered on furious, "JAZZ! I'M PREGNANT!" She yelled, not realizing that her first yell had caused Optimus Prime to accidentally push the button in his startle, and all the mechs in the room had heard her news – loud and clear.

As she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, Jazz raised his optics back to the screen, watching as Optimus Prime slowly eased his hand off the button.

But it was too late.

A moment later, the previously attentive mechs appeared on the screen and began to hoot and holler, teasing and congratulating.

Jazz, defeated, lowered his gaze and let out a long, windy sigh from his vents.

"Slag."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hey, guys! How did you like THAT little surprise? Haha, I can't wait to see how that's going to turn out. :) Hope you liked the chapter! I tried to make it a little bit longer, but we all know how THAT works out. ;P  
Not very much Sunbeam or Decepticon action in this chappie, but I think I'll have some more in the next one. ;)

Thanks for reading!


	19. Time

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! It seems I've got a little space of time, so I figured I'd make the best of it and write another chapter!

**Tlcoopi7: **I know, aren't they sweet?

**Azura Soul Reaver: **Thank you! And yeah…Jazz is going to be a daddy, hehe!

'**HURRICANE'Hannah: **I agree! I'd try to find out ASAP who brought me there…and mate IS kind of a strange word, isn't it? Makes it sound very animalistic. And it's strange about it, but you read it right! Iris is officially pregnant!

**MajsanWorld**: I think Jazz is going to have fun with this, eh? :) Thank you!

**Mistress Megatron: **Starscream is a perfect bodyguard, I would have to agree. He's going to protect that girl no matter what. And I liked your idea, so I'm going to borrow it and use it here. I hope you don't mind! Haha, Jazz got the surprise of a lifetime, didn't he? This one's going to be fun!

**KnucklesRedFury207.2: **I imagined Optimus, the poor guy, easing off the button…and it was absolutely hilarious. The news is going to spread quickly around Cybertron, haha!

_**This chapter is rated M for sexual overtones.

* * *

**_

A few more days passed by and Lillian began to worry when the packages became more and more scarce. The last package she'd received had been about four days earlier, and she was afraid that whoever was helping her had lost interest and she'd end up dying out there, alone. She stood in the living room, staring at one of the shelves on her bookshelf and trying to pick out a new book to read, considering she'd read almost all. When she reached out to grab one, a thought suddenly struck her, and she seemed to freeze mid-movement and her heart rate increased rapidly.

She could hear her heart thumping in her head as she turned away from the bookshelf and moved toward the dining room, grabbing hold of a piece of paper and a pen on her way. She sat down in one of the chairs and took a deep breath, staring down at the piece of paper and trying to keep her hand steady as she made a motion to write.

_Hello,_

_I wanted to thank you for all you've been bringing me in these packages. Whoever you are, you're a true angel for helping me stay alive. _

_Someday, I'd like to meet you._

_~Lillian E._

Lillian stared at her writing for a moment, her eyes tracing the curvature of her words and the way they fell evenly on the paper. She took in a deep breath, setting down the pen uneasily and pushing her chair back, standing up and holding the note in her hands. She folded it in half, searched quickly for a pin to stick it to the door, and turned the knob, pulling gently on it to open the door. She didn't even bother looking outside; instead, she pinned it to the door and stared at it for a fraction of a second before slamming the door shut, pressing her back against it when she was done and shutting her eyelids.

"Okay Lillian…don't get your hopes up. Don't expect a reply…don't expect anything at all. Set yourself up for disappointment that way, when there's nothing in return, you won't be crushed." She let out a sigh, opening her eyes and nodding to herself before pushing herself off the door and grabbing a small, battery-operated radio that she had received in the last package. She glanced at the bookshelf before grabbing one of the books and, with the same hand, opening the door that led to the backyard and stepped outside. Her form-fitting dance pants and t-shirt kept her feeling almost snug, even though the weather still felt slightly cold, and would get colder as the night continued.

She set the radio down on a table next to the bench-swing and walked out to the backyard, seeing the vast amounts of trees and greenery that adorned her view. She smiled, letting out a sigh and walking forward, hearing the soft chirping of crickets outside and the music from the radio filling her auditory receptors.

She heard the song switch to a familiar one; one she had heard before that caused her heart rate to spike up in excitement. The soft murmuring of the violins as they combined with piano and other orchestral instruments caused her adrenaline to rise, giving her the boost she needed to begin dancing ballet, which she had picked up when she had been about three years old.

As the music filled her ears, it also filled her body and she closed her eyes, performing the all-too-familiar ballet routine she had learned a couple of years earlier, her body moving gracefully and fluidly like water. The song was long, she knew, but her body held no regrets as it moved flawlessly with the rhythm, her hair flowing beautifully in the breeze. It was about two-thirds into the song that her foot struck a protruding rock, causing her eyes to snap open and her body to fall uselessly to the ground, causing her to let out a soft whisper of pain and shut her eyes, touching the bruised area of her foot.

"Damnit…" She uttered quietly, staring at her foot in frustration and ignoring the shards of pain she felt when she stood up, walking toward the radio and smacking the off button with her palm. She huffed and grabbed the book without a second thought, walking back inside and pushing it back into the bookshelf.

She slumped down into the main couch facing the fireplace, and dug her face into her hands, flustered. "God, what is wrong with me? I feel so useless, so tired…so…alone." She said the word with reproach; never in her life had she ever been bothered by being alone, so why was it starting now? What was different?

"_Oh yeah. __**That's**__ different." _ She thought, remembering her meeting with the giant Transformers. She shook the thought off and stood up, limping gently to the fridge and grabbing a plastic bag, filling it with ice and then made her way back to the couch, sitting down and putting her foot up, pressing the ice against it. "It'll be fine in a couple of days or so…"

* * *

Lillian woke up in the middle of the night, gasping gently and trying to forget the images she'd just seen. She looked at a clock on her nightstand and noticed it was three in the morning – she'd never been awake at this hour. Something compelled her to stand up and she did so, her white nightie coming down only to about half her upper legs, and the lace, sheer bottom covering from about her thighs down. Her petite, small body fit perfectly in the garment – the V-neck with blush pink lace trim felt a little too revealing for her but she couldn't argue, especially since it looked on the expensive side.

She made her way quietly out of her bedroom door and into the living room, her heart beating rapidly as she made her way toward the main door. _"Calm yourself, Lillian…you're probably imagining things."_ She thought, her hand trembling as she reached out to grab and turn the knob. She pulled open the door with careful slowness, so as to not make any sound, and peered nervously into the open darkness, pulling the door further ajar to see easier.

What she saw startled her to the core. She stared at the man's back for a moment before gasping, her noise causing said man to turn suddenly and look at her, the two of them locking gazes – steel-gray against blue. But this wasn't just any blue; no, it was a blue she had seen before, a blue she recognized – this particular blue she had stared into before, and her mind, for the life of her, couldn't place where.

Before she got a chance to remember, the man began to take a step back, watching her every move and holding the note she'd written tightly in his hand. Lillian's eyes widened suddenly, and she glanced down at her feet briefly to see a package laying there. She ran around it and towards the man, words managing to escape her.

"NO, don't leave! Please, don't leave me!" She yelled, causing the man to freeze in place and giving her enough time to reach him, her hand grabbing out to touch his arm. When her hand sliced clean through, she stumbled forward, catching herself just before she ran into him.

"What…?" She whispered, staring at the man as he literally began to flicker; then, after a second, disappeared from sight. She heard the rumble of an engine in the distance and then the squealing of tires, causing her to cry out once more.

"NO! COME BACK!" She pleaded, her body trembling as she stood there for a few minutes, staring into the darkness. When all she could hear were crickets, she blinked away a few tears and made her way back inside the house, bringing the package in with her.

She tore the tape off and looked inside; the first thing she saw – a cold pack, made specifically to fit her injured foot.

* * *

Saber had barely gotten any sleep, and when she had, she had been often awakened by nightmares about Lillian's disappearance. She stood outside the base, knowing full-well that everyone else was asleep – after all, who was really awake at three in the morning?

Her eyes searched the darkness, almost as if trying to find out clues to her good friend's disappearance. Her frantic search had gotten her nowhere, and without any contact with Wheeljack, there was no possible way for her to know whether he had taken her or not.

"Damnit all." She muttered angrily, a headache slowly beginning to cloud her mind. The cold breeze caused her purple drop-waist nightie to flutter, the form-fitting garment coming down to about her thighs, with lace adorning not only the bottom, but the trim on the top. She shut her eyes, bringing her arms up and setting her hands on her head, tilting her head back slightly and shutting her eyes. She tried to think about her next possible moves but she was interrupted when a pair of hands traced her waist from behind, and a strong body was pressed against hers possessively, causing her to smile wistfully.

"Nice to see you too, darling." She spoke quietly, moving her hands from her head to wrap around his neck, turning her head to the side so she could look at him. The look in his eyes caused hers to widen slightly, and she stared at him for a moment before being caught up in a passionate kiss. She gasped, letting go of his neck and allowing him to turn her around, once again making a motion to wrap her arms around his neck.

Without a second thought he picked her up, feeling as her slender legs wrapped themselves around his waist and he moved further into the forest, finally pressing her against a tree and moving one of his hands from her waist to her exposed thigh, tracing his hand up her leg and feeling the soft fabric from her nightie touch his synthetic skin.

Saber moved her arms, tracing her hands down to grab hold of the collared shirt he was wearing, fiercely pulling it closer to her and causing their kiss to deepen. After a few moments, the two pulled back and she stared into Blurr's deep, crimson-like eyes, noticing a spark she hadn't ever seen before.

"Saber, you've been worrying yourself too much lately." He spoke, his voice low and husky, almost like a growl. He stole a kiss from her before speaking again, "I don't…I don't know how much longer I can hold back. Our connection has grown too strong for my spark to keep bearing. I can't even look at you without having to hold myself back from taking you, then and there. I love you so much, my sparkmate, my Saber. I hate having to bring this to you so brusquely, but—"

Saber pressed a finger to his lips, moving it away swiftly and catching him in another passionate kiss. She felt his hands trace her sides and touch her legs lustfully yet gently, and she pulled back long enough to look at him and smile. "I've been thinking about it too, Blurr. I love you, without a doubt…" She paused, nodding once, "I think it's time."

* * *

Jetfire had spent the past few days in bliss, trying hard not to spill to everyone how amazing he felt. Never in his lifetime had he imagined ever finding his sparkmate, especially since most of the femmes on Cybertron had been wiped out from existence. He knew that Rosaline had deep feelings for him as well, and he cherished that thought as he began to pack up for the night in his workshop.

* * *

The next morning brought interesting news to the base. The whole population had gathered round in front of Jazz and Iris, both of whom seemed slightly uncomfortable at the sudden spotlight. The communications room was silent; even Alexis, who was usually talking to her sister with glee, felt compelled to keep quiet as the two mechs seemed to simultaneously take a deep breath – and then let it out via their vents.

"Everyone, Jazz and I have an important announcement to make." Iris spoke first, catching the full attention of the group. Starscream turned his head towards her and bore his crimson optics into her frame, signaling that he, too, was listening.

Jazz cleared his vocal processors and nodded once, staring out into the crowd. "You see…my honey here…" He paused, feeling Iris' optics staring at him, "…is, what you humans call, _pregnant_."

For a second, Saber didn't believe it – truthfully, she didn't _want_ to believe it – but, since Jazz had sounded so serious, she couldn't help but admit that he was speaking the truth. It wasn't a prank, and what definitely convinced her was the look in Iris' eyes as he had spoken. It seemed, to her, to be a mixture of pride, happiness, and fear – but the latter she couldn't understand why. Iris was strong, everyone knew it, so what could she possibly be afraid of? Not to mention the fact that she was surrounded by mechs that were willing to risk their sparks to protect them. Saber put the thought aside for now, and turned her attention back to Jazz and Iris.

Ratchet was the first to speak up, breaking the awkward silence that was beginning to form inside the communications room.

"Well Iris, it'll be the first I've seen in a long time." He paused, looking at the curious humans scattered to his left and right, "And remember, to Autobots a long time is more than just a few years." He nodded, looking back up at the femme, "It's almost a miracle. I can only say that this planet's purity and fertility must've had something to do with it – we haven't had a Cybertronian child in quite a few millennia."

Iris nodded simply, looking at Ratchet. "I can only expect check-ups and child-safe energon supplies from you now, can't I, Ratchet?" She let out a soft laugh, causing the room to loosen up and earning a few laughs from the girls. She watched as the mech grumbled about something lowly before replying.

"Well, it's either that, or you take care of it on your own. And, Primus forgive, we couldn't have _that_ happening, now could we?" He let out a soft chuckle, nodding once. "Oh yes, I'll be keeping close watch on you, Iris. I'm sure Optimus will like to keep documentation on the first Cybertronian born on Earth." He paused, "That reminds me…have you two told him?"

Both Iris and Jazz let out a nervous laugh, earning an optic ridge raised from Ratchet. They remembered the way Optimus had learned about the news and, without any more hesitation, the two answered simultaneously.

"Yes."

Ratchet looked at them suspiciously before giving them a firm nod. "Well, if all that's said and done, I need to see you two in my medical bay – I want this child to be well-nourished and, mainly-" He turned to look at Jazz, "-**you** need to take as much responsibility over this as Iris is."

Jazz, looking down like a scolded child, rubbed the back of his neck and followed Ratchet and Iris into the medical bay.

* * *

Starscream and Alexis sat in the same spot they had a few nights earlier, with the small girl resting snugly in Starscream's hand.

"Star…" She said quietly, getting a soft grunt in response, which allowed her to continue since she knew she had his attention, "…what do you think about this whole Iris and Jazz thing?"

The proud mech thought a moment about his response, looking off into the distance.

"I think it is incorrect timing." He replied simply, earning a glance from Alexis.

The young woman looked off to where he was staring, and responded softly, "Oh? How so?"

"We're in the midst of a battle with the Decepticons. Knowing Ratchet, he'll bring himself into the battle before he allows Iris to participate, which is a foolish move. He's a medic, not a warrior – I'll allow him the liberty of trying to help, but a medic is needed more when the battle is over. If he hadn't arrived when Red Alert's spark was extinguished, who would've taken care of you, or any of the others?"

Alexis noticed the way he spoke about her and smiled, trying to hide the small blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I see. So you think that the Decepticons will attack again?" She looked up at him, locks of her hair fluttering in the breeze, gently.

"I'm positive, Alexis. They will stop at nothing to get rid of the Autobots, and will use any means necessary – which is why I try to keep an eye on you at all times. They will try to weaken us through those who can't really stand up to them." He paused, locking gazes with her, "And I _won't_ allow that to happen. They'll have to pry you out of my dying hands before they ever lay a hand on you." His optics narrowed, and he ripped his gaze away to look back into the horizon, his free hand curling up into a fist.

Alexis smiled gently, looking off as well. "Thank you, Starscream…but I'm going to do my best to help, in any way I can. There's got to be _something_ we can do…the girls and I just can't stand watch and allow you guys to get hurt. We just…_can't_."

"Don't try to be heroes, Alexis." He spoke sternly, "You will earn your death. If there is something that you femmes can help us with, I'm sure we'll tell you beforehand. But otherwise, all of you need to stay out of the way – hide, so that they can't find you and use you." Starscream knew his words were harsh, but he had a feeling Alexis would understand what he meant. His Decepticon nature had gotten the better of him and caused him to speak with bitterness in his voice, but he knew that the girl would realize his true meaning and heed his advice.

Alexis, just as Starscream predicted, nodded once and spoke quietly. "Alright, you've got me convinced, Star. Now I'll have to try and convince the other girls."

* * *

Sunbeam stood in one of the moon's deeper craters, staring up at the starry sky with crossed arms. She heard very well the stealthy footsteps approaching, knowing that the owner was trying hard to keep quiet so she wouldn't notice. Unfortunately for him, Sunbeam had a knack for seeing surprises before they came, and she spoke up when the mech was just a few footsteps away.

"Don't even try it, Skywarp. I know that's you."

The Seeker let out a frustrated whine and moved to stand next to her, glancing up at the sky as well.

"Slag, I thought I was going to get you." He muttered, crossing his arms and glancing at her, "Since you've gotten here you haven't said much to anyone, Sunbeam. What are you, anti-social or something?" He asked, arching an optic ridge and watching as the femme didn't budge an inch.

"Don't label me with one of those pathetic humans' psychological diseases, Skywarp. I merely don't have anything to say. My speaking is made in battle; it is when I am at my utmost potential." She replied, slowly moving her gaze from the sky to him. "What brings you out here?"

The mech shrugged his massive shoulders, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Nothing, personally. But Shockwave seemed slightly concerned when he asked me to check on you out here. My guess is that he wanted to make sure you weren't going crazy, or something."

Sunbeam let out a dry laugh, looking back towards the sky. "Skywarp, have you ever truly looked at the sky? It is what you're named after, isn't it? Skywarp – take it literally and it makes you imagine a giant hole, in the middle of the universe, inhaling everything in its path as it struggles to make itself whole. But there is no stopping point. It is endless. The warp in the sky envelops everything around it eventually." She paused, looking back at him, "Think about that next time someone calls you a fraghead."

She turned, walking back towards the base and leaving the mech to ponder about her words. When she reached it, she stepped in through the back entrance and passed a few rooms, all with closed doors. When she passed one with an open door, she halted. _"Might as well get to know more about this base."_ She thought, taking a few steps back and heading into the open room, glancing about. She strolled leisurely about, finally reaching a metal counter with a tiny, folded piece of paper resting on top.

"_That's strange. What kind of mech needs paper? And, much less, __**human-sized**__ paper?" _She thought suspiciously, reaching a hand out to grab it before suddenly darting to the side, using a tuck-and-roll motion to evade the smoking black hole that rested on the wall, just where she had been. She turned suddenly, angrily, and spotted Wheeljack with his gun armed and ready to fire once more.

"It's not nice to shoot at a comrade, Wheeljack." She said calmly, her optics trying to hide the anger she felt deep in her central processor.

"You are no comrade of mine, you despicable femme." He spat in return, taking a few steps toward her with his gun pointed at her spark chamber. "What the slag are you doing in my quarters?"

Sunbeam remained calm, ignoring his insults. "The door was open. I decided to explore." She replied simply, not gracing him with a detailed response. When he was pressing the gun's barrel against her spark, Sunbeam grabbed it suddenly, pulling it with force towards her but to her side, causing a startled Wheeljack to find himself face-to-face with Sunbeam, their noses almost touching as she narrowed her optics. Simultaneously, he felt the barrel of her own gun pressing up against his neck, causing him to tilt his head upwards but still glare down at her.

"Next time you decide to point a gun at me, Wheeljack, remember I've got one of my own." She spoke lowly, her optics flaming, "Let's see who's faster at pulling the trigger." She let go of his gun and used her own to push his face away, causing him to stumble slightly to the side and allowing her a clear path to exit his room.

Wheeljack, obviously angered, turned to see Sunbeam's slender and deadly form make her exit, and growled lowly. "Slagging femme…you just wait, Sunbeam. You've earned yourself a new threat."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, there you have it, guys! What did you think? :) Haha, it's not very good, but I promise the next chapters will get better? And how about that little Blurr and Saber spice? ;)

Until next time!


	20. Embrace

Author's Note: SO sorry it took forever for me to reply, guys! I've been so busy this summer with my Engineering camp and all…and the last months of school were RIDICULOUS! Fun, but busy, for sure. I'm glad I finally took a 'ME' day and decided to write! Sorry I don't have specific replies to reviews this time, but I'm trying to get as much writing as possible tonight so I can have a chapter out to you guys. :) Enjoy!

Unfortunately, I do not own the TF series…but I DO own my imagination, as crazy as it may be!

* * *

Lillian's fondness for material things became more and more imminent every time she received a package. The packages came steady, but with a few days' space in-between, giving her a sort of comfort that nothing else could. She got so used to the routine that she didn't check every day for a package, she checked every four or five days, using a calendar to mark an 'X' on the days she had received a package, and nothing on the days she had not. She was trying to figure out a pattern, but so far she had found none – she was giving it more time to understand.

A week or two after the first incident with the 'man', Lillian found herself exploring the woods outside her home, carefree and feeling foolishly safe that nothing would happen to her. She wasn't too far off from her home, but far away enough that it couldn't be seen in the distance. She had gotten curious as to what kind of fauna existed in the woods, and managed to even run into some wild deer in the deeper parts of her exploration; on her way back the sun still shone, but only slightly as it began to settle and with darkness came cold.

She had been quiet on her return to the home, but something surprised her when she heard voices not too far off from her location – male, and deep. She approached with caution, trying not to step on any twigs as she had learned from movies, and found herself a nice resting spot behind a tree. There was enough light to illuminate the two men – one was tall, almost 6'5, and the other was shorter, probably about 5'11. They both seemed like giants to Lillian's 5'2 stature, and she moved to pay attention to their facial and bodily features.

The taller of the two men was obviously _very_ built, with broad shoulder s and muscled arms. He was wearing raggedy jeans, and a T-shirt that looked worn and slightly dirty. His hair was tied up and back into a loose ponytail, the tip of said ponytail coming down to about his shoulders. The second man had muscles that weren't so defined, but his clothes looked cleaner and better cared-for than his companion's. His medium-length hair reminded Lillian of someone who'd just rolled out of bed. She moved slightly closer, pressing her body against the tree and peeking her head out from behind it slightly.

She could hear them speaking, but couldn't quite make what they were saying. The taller man spoke, his scratchy voice deep, and she tilted her head slightly to the side, only one thought sprouting in her mind: _"Who does this guy think he is, Starscream?"_

Immediately following, the man stopped talking and looked at the shorter man, alert. The shorter man looked at him in slight confusion, asking him what was wrong, his voice deep but commanding.

"I smell a female…" The taller man replied, his head slowly turning in Lillian's direction.

Lillian wasted no time and took off running, causing the two men behind her to follow suit. She had legs for running, but even they weren't enough to outrun the two men. The taller one caught up to her quickly and tackled her, making sure they landed on him instead of on top of the shorter girl. Lillian fought and kicked, and it wasn't until the taller man pulled out a knife and she caught the gleam that her movements ceased, her eyes widening.

"That's right, pretty girl. You don't want this to cut you; it'll be like a hot knife through butter with the force I'd put behind it."

The shorter man set his hand on the big man's shoulder and looked down at Lillian. "Pull her up. Let's see what we've caught tonight."

Pulling her up, the bigger man grabbed Lillian's arms and held them behind her back, leaving her totally vulnerable to the shorter man in front of her.

Looking down at her, the shorter man glanced over her body with a smirk, reaching his hand out to touch her face and feeling as her jaw muscles tensed. "There there, pretty girl. You don't want to get on _my_ bad side…I like to mess with minds rather than bodies." He traced his hand down to her upper chest, "But seeing you, I wouldn't mind doing both." The two men laughed, and Lillian found her anger slowly simmering to panic. Her heart began to beat unnaturally fast, and she closed her eyes for a moment, gasping when she heard a familiar voice.

"Let her go. That's an order."

Lillian opened her eyes and looked around, seeing no sign of anyone nearby. She looked at the two men, who looked as thoroughly confused as she was, and jumped when she was suddenly released and the two men were picked up by two giant, metal hands. She could hear the men screaming, but couldn't see anything above the trees now that the sun had finally settled.

"Go home. Now."

The voice was angered but obviously not with her; Lillian didn't think twice about the order and began to sprint, making it home in no time and standing on the back porch, trying to catch her breath. She waited a few minutes, the porch light giving her a minimum amount of illumination. She tried to use her hearing, and she pressed her hand against her chest to try and calm herself down even more.

"Who was that? I hope he comes back…I want to thank him." She whispered; almost as if on cue, the roar of an engine was heard in the distance and creeping closer, causing her to squint to try and get a better look.

What she saw surprised her, but gave her warmth and comfort at the same time. The outline of Wheeljack's car form moved closer and closer until it stopped a few feet away from the porch, and Lillian stepped closer to the edge of the porch and stared at him. Her breath came in short, quick bursts, and she was hesitant at first to approach him. When the engine switched off, she crept closer and closer slowly until she was standing in front of the car.

Her lips parted, and she tried to form words to thank him, but all that would come out was a whisper of his name.  
"Wheeljack…?"

The respondent remained silent for half a minute, causing Lillian to think she was wrong, but finally, the door opened and a stout man stepped out – the same man she had seen on that fateful night, the same man she had been having dreams about returning. The two locked eyes and as he approached her, she began to step back – in simultaneous fear and admiration.

Managing not to trip up the stairs, she found herself trapped between the man and the wall of her home, their gazes radiating heat from the intensity.

He was the first to speak.  
"What do you _THINK_ you were doing out there?!" He yelled suddenly, causing Lillian to jump and give out a soft whimper. "Do you know you could've been KILLED?! All my hard work for nothing, _absolutely_ NOTHING!" He slammed one hand against the wall next to Lillian's face, causing the tiny home to quiver slightly.

Lillian, regaining her composure, suddenly scrunched her face up in anger and lifted a hand to slap him. He caught her hand and even the other as she tried to retaliate, and placed them above her head, inching ever closer.  
"You haven't answered my question, Lillian. How could you be so naïve?!"

Lillian's fiery gaze locked with his and suddenly, tears began to fall from her eyes. The trails of moisture ran down her pink cheeks and she cried out in response.  
"What do you expect me to do?! I've been stuck all alone for what seems like eternity, and the ONE time I decide to explore on my own will, something happens! Don't treat me like a child…besides, what do YOU care? I'm surprised YOU haven't even killed me yet!"

Wheeljack looked at her sudden outburst, startled. He tried to scrounge words to defend himself but couldn't find any. He released her wrists gently and let his synthetic hands fall to his sides, staring at her. He waited for her tears to stop flowing so quickly to respond.  
"Don't insinuate that I don't care Lillian…because if I didn't, I wouldn't be here." He paused, watching as the information sunk in and she looked up at him, wiping her tears away.  
"Secondly, it is very difficult for me to come visit due to the fact that I shouldn't even be _communicating_ with you…I am a Decepticon now, and my orders are to kill you." He stared at her, his eyelids narrowing slightly, "But I haven't, and even I don't know why."

Lillian looked up at him, hesitantly reaching up and touching his smooth skin. She watched as his expression went from confusion to surprise, and she pulled her hand back suddenly, hoping she hadn't angered him again. Her heart began to race when she realized just how close their faces were, and she didn't even get to second-think to move back before she was suddenly swept up into the holoform's strong arms, pressed tight against his body.

"I never realized how much I craved to touch your skin and feel the warmth radiating from it," He spoke, his voice almost a growl. He pulled Lillian up to be at eye-level with him, using his left arm as leverage against her bottom half. He pressed her back against the wall again, using his right hand to grab her jaw gently so she wouldn't be able to turn away.

Lillian's heart rate suddenly spiked, and she felt herself give way into her emotions. Out of reflex she wrapped her legs around the holoform's waist, and clenched her fists into his shirt, moving slightly closer.  
"Wheeljack, what do you want from me?"

"This." He responded, suddenly wrapping his arms around her torso and engaging her in a fierce kiss, both of them barely stopping to get some air. Neither of them had ever felt this strong of emotions before, and they didn't realize the complications their actions now would bring them in the future.

* * *

Saber woke up the next morning with a jolt, as if electricity had suddenly surged through her and her body. She gasped, blinking a few times before she turned to the side and saw Blurr's bipedal form in recharge mode, causing her to smile widely and let out a soft sigh. She closed her eyes and last night's actions returned to her mind, causing her to blush and shake her head.

Saber knew that it hadn't all been fun and games, however; she now had full access to Blurr's memories, and she was still trying to get used to the whole mind-communication thing. He was able to 'read' her mind, per se, and she could do the same for him. Although she knew he was better at keeping secrets from her than vice-versa, she doubted he'd even try at this point – after all, why should he?  
She slipped out of bed to take a shower, taking some time to think about Lillian and wondering how she was doing. _"I know she's still out there…I know she's alive. But where? And what's happened to her?" _She thought, suddenly hearing the door open. She peeked out from behind the glass doors and saw Blurr's holoform step inside, looking handsome as ever.

"You're lucky you don't have to take showers, y'know. You're always sparkly clean." She smiled, watching as the holoform shook his head and moved closer to her, sitting on the lid on top of the toilet. "Ah, a king on his throne! How fitting." She teased, watching as he threw a bar of soap at her gently.

"I was just coming to see how you were doing, my Saber. I couldn't help but…overhear." He stated, referring to her thoughts.

Saber paused a second to reply, looking down at the floor as she scrubbed her arms. "Oh, you heard that, huh?" She sighed, closing her eyes and letting the warm water run down her body, "Well…it's been a while since she disappeared. I wish I had information on her whereabouts…any at all would help. Who knows? Maybe even the Decepticons have captured her and are torturing her for information. Or worse…" She shook her head to try to get rid of the thought, and shifted uneasily. "What do you think?"

Blurr waited a moment before responding. "I don't think anything bad has happened to her, Saber. But there's not much we can do without any information. I'll try and send out Laserbeak to explore further out than last time and see if there's anything we can find. We'll do our best, I promise."

"I know, Blurr…I just wish it would hurry."

* * *

Rosaline peeked into the room that Jetfire usually spent working on his projects, smiling and pushing the door open to enter. She approached him cautiously, knowing that she shouldn't disturb him. She moved over to a ladder that led to the table he was working on, and climbed the long way up to reach him.

"Mind if I watch?"

The pleasant voice didn't startle Jetfire as much as give him warmth, and he looked over to Rosaline with a grin before urging her to come closer. "Of course, Miss Rosaline. You are more than welcome to."

"What are you working on?" The girl spoke up after a moment of quiet observation. She was usually pretty good at picking up on what he was messing with, but this time, the gadget looked too…_alien-like_ for her to understand.

"It's a prototype." He responded promptly, resting it in the palm of his hand and holding it up for her to look at, "I remembered one of the projects I left back in Cybertron, and I realized that it could probably come in handy in Miss Saber's search for Lillian." He paused, turning it over in his hand, "I have to attach it to Laserbeak and from there, he'll be able to search longer ranges for _human_ heat signals where there normally wouldn't be any. If I can get a sample of something that has Lillian's DNA on it, I'll be able to enhance it to search 'till the ends of this earth until it finds her. It'll be a little while, but I'm getting there."

Rosaline's jaw dropped in admiration. "Wow…that's amazing, Jetfire. You have such wonderful skills...I'm so glad we have you here! We're lucky; truly, we are."

Jetfire cleared his voice box and for the umpteenth time thanked Primus for not being able to, what did the humans call it? Oh yes, _blush_.  
"Why thank you, Miss Rosaline. Coming from you, it is a very big compliment."

* * *

Jazz and Iris stood across from each other in their cozy little abode, which had already been made sparkling-safe by Ratchet and was in continuation to become a haven for any type of child alive, Cybertronian or not.

Jazz was the first to speak. "Primus, if Ratchet made this room any more brat-safe I bet the sparkling could live without us."

Iris let out a sigh, crossing her arms and looking at Jazz. "Well, I think both of us are going to have to start shaping up for this. I won't be able to battle…or I can, but only minimally, which means I'm useless on the battlefield except for assisting from a distance." There was an irk in her voice that Jazz picked up immediately, "I'm going to focus all my time and energy into this sparkling…like Ratchet said, it's going to be a miracle."

Jazz took a step closer towards her, setting his hands on her shoulders and causing her to look up. His voice switched from its usual too-cool tone to the soft tone he spoke to Iris and Iris alone.  
"Iris, I know you're a warrior…but this time, for the sake of the two of you, I can't let you fight. I can't risk losing you, much less the both of you." He stared at her, watching as her expression softened as she looked at him. "I know I'm usually immature and careless, but I promise I'll do my best to take care of you both. You are my sole responsibility and I'll risk every piece of my spark and armor to protect you."

Iris looked at him, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him tightly. "Jazz, you don't understand how much your words mean to me…thank you, my sparkmate. Primus chose the right one for me."

"I'm the lucky one, Iris. Primus could've matched you up with any other prominent Cybertronian, but instead, he chose me to be your partner…and I couldn't be more proud." He released her gently, his hands resting on her arms, "Iris, you _are_ the best thing that has ever happened to me…and now, our sparkling will have two loving parents to take care of it."

* * *

Starscream could be seen in the far distance, red-hot sword in hand swinging at imaginary enemies. The dance his movements made in flow with the sword were beautiful, almost as if the two were made for each other and held hands as the light of the sun guided them in their ballad. Starscream was actually quite graceful in battle, but he had the tendency to let his emotions get the better of him, which caused him to make the wrong decisions.

He took a break, holding his sword in a defensive position and staring off into the distance, his central processor racing with different 'thoughts' of the past, present, and near-future. Lately, he'd been plagued during recharge with visions of possible misfortunes to the Autobots and, mainly, Alexis.

He lowered his sword and, eventually, returned it to his shoulder to become his wing again. He took a seat by a large, old tree nearby and looked up at the sky, watching as the first traces of the night's stars appeared.

It bothered him most that he had visions during recharge – recharge was supposed to be sacred, something no one could enter or mess with, no matter what their faction. As long as he'd lived his recharge had been his safe haven for him to escape to, away from all the insults, debauchery, and embarrassment Megatron put him through. But, now that he was happier, he felt bitterness toward the fact that he couldn't even step away for a millisecond before negative thoughts were plaguing his central processor again.

His fingers curled up into fists, and he tried to relax himself by thinking of the one person that kept him sane –Alexis. He didn't know why or how the girl did it, but somehow the fragile femme always had the ability to calm him and lead him to reason, which was probably how he hadn't ended up dead these past few years. He owed a lot to her - more than she realized – and felt that it was his duty to take care of her, especially since she was…his _sparkmate_.

Just the thought of the word sent a chill through his mechanized body; never in his life had Starscream thought that he'd be paired up with anyone, but yet, here she was, in all her freedom and glory. He couldn't admit to ever having seen anyone more beautiful than her, and he knew it was instant hatred toward anyone who tried to harm her. Alexis was, almost literally, his savior, and he couldn't thank her more. Although his Decepticon ways sometimes got the better of him, there was a type of beauty in the way she brought him back to her side that he couldn't begin to explain.

Almost as if on cue, he turned attentively to the rustling he heard to his left, hand raised to pull out his sword if necessary. After a moment of careful and intricate scanning, he relaxed and watched as the small figure that was Alexis Anderson emerged from the trees and looked up at him, baring a bright smile.

"Hey Star, I figured you might want some company."

"_More than you can imagine, Alexis."_ He thought, reaching his hand out toward her and watching as she carefully climbed into it. Without another word, the two began to watch the sunset and the stars as they began to settle, illuminating most of the night sky with their glow, and giving Starscream a deep sense of pride to be named after them.

* * *

Sunbeam took her time training outside, doing her best to avoid any contact with the males inside the base. She knew very well they had a tendency to spy on her; after all, they hadn't known very much female contact in their days, and she took it to her advantage. Being a femme had the tendency to mean she could get pretty much whatever the frag she wanted, especially since she had power to back up her threats. Shockwave took her side if ever anything came up, even though she had no idea why. She wasn't about to ask questions, either – she didn't care much for anything other than getting the job done.

Something inside her flickered whenever she saw Wheeljack, however; she had an interest in him solely because she wanted to find out what he was hiding. What did that paper say, and why did he have it? Was there a possibility that Wheeljack could be trying to befriend a human? And, if so, why? She wasn't jealous by any means, but rather…_curious_ to find out the truth. She'd tried various times to enter Wheeljack's room once more, but the slagger kept it sealed shut – and even took the liberty of making his own lock so that no one else could enter.

"Fraghead…I'll find out what you're hiding. And when I do, I'll crush it and everything it represents." She muttered, turning away from her training once she was done and heading back inside.

A sudden, distant memory caused her to freeze on the spot, her optics widening in surprise before she growled fiercely and shook her head, trying to clear herself of the taint. "No. My past is no more…I have begun anew. Everyone has been left behind because they don't deserve a place in my future." She reminded herself, resuming her walk toward the base and holding her head high as she entered, passing a few mechs until she arrived and entered her chambers.

* * *

Author's Note: Whew! That took a while! Sorry about the fragging LONG update, guys…my Thanksgiving break has started as of today, so hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter out before classes resume! Thanks SO much for baring with me…until next time, my lovely readers!


	21. Complications

Lillian could feel the electricity surging through her, almost as if Wheeljack's own spark was sending wave after wave of adrenaline-inducing bolts into her body. When the two finally managed to part long enough to look at each other, Lillian noticed the look of longing and desperation mixed with lust and even hints of fear in the holoform's optics. The two raced to catch their breaths, and she let her feet touch the ground again before she could speak.

"Wheeljack, I…" She paused, almost seeing the mech's vulnerability in his optics – something that obviously wasn't shown…ever. "I don't want you to get in trouble…I don't want you to get punished because of me. My emotions are so mixed right now, I…" She shut her eyes, images of Red Alert's death flashing through her mind and causing warm tears to roll down her cheeks. "I don't understand why you did all this for me. We're on opposite sides…you _killed_ Red Alert. Even if you tried, the Autobots would probably never accept you." She opened her eyes, her eyelashes sparkling from the lingering tears. "I don't know what to feel – I don't know what to _think_. My heart is telling me to succumb to you, to give this my all without regrets, but…my mind is warning me of the consequences. My mind says I shouldn't…love you…ever." Her body shook as the words spilled out of her mouth, trembling in the holoform's arms.

Wheeljack took a moment to speak, keeping his gaze locked with hers with difficulty, considering her beautiful steel-grey eyes spoke with so much emotion. It was almost as if he could _see_ her pain, her confusion, her angst through those orbs and there was nothing he could do except speak to her in the softest, warmest way he could.

"Lillian…listen. I don't know myself why I've been doing this, but there's something in my spark that just compels me to. I can't stop it – and honestly, I don't want to. As far as punishment goes…I'm willing to take what they give me. I've been risking my aft every time I sneak out of base and bring you those packages…I'm lucky Decepticons don't give a damn when it comes to their team member's whereabouts." He glanced away for a moment, " I…I understand why you would be hesitant, especially if the Autobots found out where you were and who'd been keeping you here this whole time. I just want you to understand, Lillian…" He looked back at her, his optics displaying the most emotion Lillian had ever seen in a hologram in her lifetime, "…this affection you humans call love must be what has been driving me to act this way, but I don't regret it. I respect your decision, no matter what it may be. I realize that you will need more time to make it, and so I shall give it to you. Whenever you are ready, leave a note for me on the door and I will stop by that night to speak to you."

Looking deep into her eyes, Wheeljack slowly pulled himself away from her and took a few steps back. It was almost as if he was waiting for her to respond, but all she could do was stare at him with the most defenseless look on her face. As his holoform began to fade away, Lillian took a few steps forward, halting when the lights to Wheeljack's vehicle form switched on and caused her to flinch.

After a quick moment, she walked down the steps of the porch and approached him, cautiously. She stood between the two headlights, right in front of the slashed Autobot logo on the hood of the car. "Wheeljack…" She set her hand on the insignia, feeling the engine rev at her touch and vibrate wildly, "Please be careful. I'll let you know as soon as I'm ready." She traced her fingers across the slash before the car quickly backed up and sped off into the woods, causing her hair to whip around and leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

* * *

Saber woke up suddenly, her eyes blinking the grogginess off and jumping quickly out of bed, as if she had gotten a sudden caffeine fix. Her mind was racing from the dream she'd just had, and she couldn't wait to express it to Blurr to see what his response would be.

As if on cue, the mech awoke from his recharge and stretched to his full height, towering over Saber's petite form with ease. The girl looked up at him, waving at him before sitting on the edge of the bed, watching as he sat down across from her, looking down.

"Blurr, you'll never _believe_ it. I had the MOST realistic dream…" She paused, giving him a knowing look, "Now I know dreams aren't _real_, you don't have to tell me that twice, but I just have this gut feeling…" She took a deep breath, "I had a dream that…we found Lillian. Well, not _we_, per se, but it was as if…I was watching her without actually being there. I saw this house in the middle of nowhere – it was surrounded by trees and it had this cute little porch – and I saw Lillian outside of it. But _get this_: she was with Wheeljack, of all people! But he wasn't trying to hurt her or anything…they were both just standing there, talking in broad daylight as if they'd been the best of friends for the longest time." She stared at Blurr, "And now that I'm awake, I just have this feeling that I need to talk to him…somehow…I doubt anyone would approve of it but if there was just _some way_ that I could communicate with him and ask if…" She halted, her hopes suddenly shot down, "I can see it all in your look, Blurr…even if I did manage to contact him there's no assurance that he'd tell me where she was, much less that he even knows. It was naïve, I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath and stood from the bed, looking up at him with sleepy eyes, "I don't know why, but that took a bit out of me…I need some breakfast."

"Don't lose hope, Saber…you never know where information might pop up." He picked her up into his hand, exiting the room and walking towards the kitchen.

"_I know, but it just felt so __**real**__…I wish I could find this place, just to show myself she's not there, but…no. I should stop. It would be a waste of time and resources."_ Saber thought, shaking her head and holding on closely to one of Blurr's digits.

* * *

Rosaline walked around outside, carrying a basket in her hands and stopping by every once in a while to pick up flowers that were growing outside the base. She felt like a girl in the movies, wearing sandals, a sundress, and a sunhat now that the weather was getting warmer. The sun shone down brightly on patches of grass that the trees didn't cover, and that was where most of the wildflowers grew, covering those patches here and there and giving her plenty of pretty flowers to choose from.

She reached a particular point in the backwoods that caused her to wonder, noticing wild-growing vines and drooping trees around it. As she approached, she noticed the vines were covering some sort of gate – obviously abandoned and left for the Earth to claim. She tore some of the vines away and noticed a lock and a keyhole, sparking her curiosity. She clamped one eye shut and tried to focus through the keyhole to see what was beyond, but all she could see was more grass and trees on the other side. She pulled gently on the lock, messing with it for a moment before leaving it be and taking a few steps back. "I don't know…maybe I'll look here some other time." She turned around, walking briskly in the opposite direction and glancing over her shoulder only a couple times before the gate was out of sight. "How strange. Why is there a gate in the middle of the woods? True, nobody knows this part of the country even _exists_, but still…I wonder what's back there." She murmured, continuing on her pace before continuing to pick flowers, as if nothing had happened.

She entered the base and made a quick stop in the supply room, before continuing to walk towards Jetfire's lab and entering without hesitation. She paused when she didn't find him inside, but quickly continued to walk towards the stairs and climbed them all the way to the lab table. From there, she set down the basket of flowers as well as the vases she'd picked up on her way, and began to put the flowers inside the vases, setting them in different places around the workshop table. "He's going to cringe when he sees how girly I made this place…" She laughed, fixing up the bouquets and humming softly to herself as she did so.

* * *

"So…how are we going to explain this birth to the humans?" Iris suddenly piped up, glancing over at her sparkmate. "It's not like typical human birthing…there is no tiny mech that will come out of any of my ports – honestly, I don't want to _try_ to understand how that ritual works – but Ratchet is working now on the sparkling's form."

Jazz hesitated, locking gazes with her and watching her carefully. It was true, the ritual wasn't like what the humans were used to, but he didn't quite know how to explain it. Only Cybertronians could tell that Iris was 'pregnant' – there were certain signs that showed it, but none of the ones humans expected. She didn't gain weight or have a protruding belly, but instead, her optics and even her whole body gradually began to glow brighter and brighter – not to the point where it blinded anyone, but to the point where it was noticeable, even by humans. Also, Iris would be more feisty and irritable, and would be more vulnerable to CPU viruses or bots that could possibly hack into her system; that was why Ratchet and Jetfire had already worked together to set up a sort of 'extra antivirus' programming into her system that would eliminate the threat completely. Also, the sparkling didn't take nine months to grow; despite the fact that Cybertronians could live for a long time and seemed to stay the same age forever, the sparkling would come to be in only a few short months.

"We'll just…I don't know, have Ratchet explain it to them." He said quickly, glancing at her. He paused a moment before a large grin spread on his face and he spoke. "Can't say we didn't get to _babymakin'_, but after this one…you wanna get right back to tryin' again?" He smirked, but only for a second before a wrench hit his face and he fell over, twitching in pain.

"You're lucky I didn't hurt you for this first one! Don't get me wrong, I'll love my sparkling to death, but I belong on the battlefield – and this little one will grow up to be just as strong as their mother." She glared at him, pointing, "And don't you forget it."

* * *

"Star…_pleeeaaaseee?_ You know it would be so beneficial for _all_ of us!"

"I don't understand your logic, Alexis Anderson. And I disagree with that last statement."

"But Star…don't be so difficult! Why can't you just do this?"

"_Because_, Alexis…I don't want to be the one responsible for you thinking you can stand up against a mech that is many times your size and weight."

"Starscream…I _want_ to do this. If anything I want to show that I don't need everyone protecting poor, little Alexis. I just don't want to seem like a total _weakling_! Plus, if you don't do this for me…" She paused, "We're never playing the puzzle games again."

Starscream froze, his whole body staying still except when he whipped his head to look at her. "You…you wouldn't!"

Alexis smirked, crossing her arms and looking at the mech in front of her. "That's right…I'm going there. This is officially blackmail." She grinned, "If you haven't noticed, Star, in human culture, when a male and female are in a relationship…the female rules."

Starscream's optics widened in sudden realization; his world seemed to come crashing down around him with absurdly fast speed. He stared at her in shock – did that mean he couldn't have his time alone anymore? Did that mean he couldn't spar at night anymore? Did that mean…did that mean Alexis had to dictate everything he did? Did that mean…SHE'D WIN EVERY PUZZLE GAME?! He could feel his surroundings beginning to spin around him as his CPU began to overload with the sudden intake of information.

Seeing this, Alexis suddenly burst out laughing and fell to the floor, holding her stomach. "Oh my _god_, Star! You should see the look on your face! I was _joking_…I'm not going to take over and scrutinize everything you do. That's unhealthy. And _no_…" She paused, looking at him knowingly, "this doesn't mean I'll win every puzzle game we play."

Heaving what could be called a sigh of relief, Starscream stood to his full height and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Good one, my sparkmate. I do believe you're the first one to ever make me think I would lose my independence…"

* * *

Sunbeam slowly approached Shockwave's quarters, being careful to make sure no one else saw her. She knocked twice, watching as a disgruntled Shockwave appeared sitting on a chair when the door opened. Upon seeing her, however, his expression faded into one of relief and he ushered her to walk inside.

"Sunbeam…what brings you here?" He asked, watching her carefully as she strode inside, running his optic up and down her carefully crafted body. He crossed his arms, waiting for her response.

"Well, I remembered you wanted to talk to me a while back about how I became a Decepticon…" She paused, standing clear in front of him and setting her hands on her hips, "And I figured this was a good time. None of the fragheads are around to interrupt my oh-so-wonderful story."

Nodding, Shockwave merely motioned for her to sit, which she politely refused. He was probably the only one she would be nice to, _for now_, considering she wanted him on her side. "Approved. Begin."

Sunbeam shut her optics, pacing to and fro carefully in front of the mech.

"_I had a family…a very loving one. My mother was a fierce warrior and my father was a prominent scientist, which meant I had strength and genius in my genes. The problem was, when my mother was told she was 'with sparkling'…it turned out to be a plural of the word. There were two of us."_

She paused, stopping her stroll and staring directly at him.

"_I had a sister, born on the same date and time. We are both equal in every sense of the word, except for the way we look. We look similar, but there are some differences that can be said as far as the color of our bodies, our personalities, and…the faction we chose." _

She narrowed her eyes, noticing the look of understanding in Shockwave's optic.

"_I have a twin, Shockwave…but __**she**__ is an __**Autobot**__."_

Shockwave stood suddenly from his chair, staring at her in surprise. "You mean to tell me there is another, exactly like you, except…an **AUTOBOT**?"

Sunbeam whipped her body around quickly, approaching her leader with courage and without fear of negative retaliation. "She is NOT exactly like me…that femme has become **weak** because of them…she had the fiery personality but it can stand _nothing_ against my tactics." She paused, "As far as I know, she's dead…and it's better off that way. If she isn't, and I ever see her again…I'll tear her to pieces."

Shockwave took a moment to notice how close they were, and tried to dismiss it quickly. He stood his ground against the proud femme and took a small step toward her, expecting her to back down. When she didn't, he smirked inwardly and crossed his arms. "Sunbeam…I'd like to see you prove your words. If we ever come across this _twin_ of yours…you shall fight her, and no one else." He tilted his head up, his optic looking down at her, "**However**…I know that is not the _only_ reason why you came here. What else do you seek from me?"

Sunbeam smirked, reaching a hand up and resting her index finger against his chestplate. "And how right you would be, my leader." She stepped back and turned around, moving one hand in the air as she spoke. "Logic is your mistress, Shockwave, and I'd like to point out to you that Wheeljack has been doing some…clearly illogical things. I entered his room not too long ago out of curiosity and found…human-sized paper on his desk. Ever since then…" She turned her head and looked at him from over her shoulder, "…he's kept his room under a new security lock that makes me wonder what exactly he's trying to hide."

Shockwave nodded; Sunbeam was right – logic did rule any and all of his processes, although he seemed to falter sometimes when this femme came around, a change which he had to be wary of. Those things aside, he calculated the most logical option would be to confront Wheeljack and make him open his chambers to show what he was hiding.

"Where _is_ Wheeljack, speaking of?"

Sunbeam paused at his question, turning her full body around to face him again and parting her lips to speak. Before she could get a word out, however, the sound of the warp gate bringing someone on board filled the room and she smirked, setting one hand on her hip. "Here now, it seems."

"Well…let's see what he's been up to." Shockwave spoke, exiting his room with Sunbeam on his tail. The femme had the biggest, most malicious smirk on her face as the two entered the large room with the warp gate inside, watching as Wheeljack stepped down from the platform.

"Wheeljack…" Shockwave spoke casually, his optic glowing bright red, "…your leader demands to know where you've been."

Wheeljack stared at him in surprise, narrowing his eyes when he noticed Sunbeam at his side, arms crossed. _"That fragging femme went and snitched on me…" _ He thought, taking a few steps towards them. He could feel the animosity radiating from the three of them as he tried to think of a viable excuse. _"Ah…slag."_

_

* * *

  
_

**Author's Note:**I find myself apologizing each time I put out a chapter due to how long it's taken me to publish it! But once again…I am SO SORRY!! Hopefully this will satisfy you guys until I find another chance to update – now that I'm not working as much I should have more time! Here's to hoping, right? Thanks for waiting, and thanks for staying loyal!


	22. Found

Lillian lay in bed, curled up inside the sheets to the point where, if someone were to look inside her room, they would only see what appeared to be a bundle underneath the sheets. She'd been laying there for quite some time, Wheeljack's words playing over and over again in her mind.

"_Whenever you are ready, leave a note for me on the door…"_

"Oh Wheeljack…I never even imagined. I just…I had no idea you had these feelings for me…why? Why do you care about me like this? It'll only get you hurt, and you know it!" She spoke, flustered. She clutched a pillow closer to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath and trying to clear her mind. She shifted about for a moment longer before suddenly getting out of bed and running to the dining room, sitting at the table and staring down at the piece of paper and pen that she had already laid out for herself. Trembling, she took up the pen with her hand and began to write.

"_Wheeljack,_

_ I've made my decision. Please stop by tonight to see me, so I can tell you face-to-face._

_ -Lillian"_

Picking the paper up, she rushed to the door and used some tape to stick it on. After re-reading it various times, she took a deep breath and shut the door behind her, pressing her back against it once it was locked and trembling. "Please, god, let me be doing the right thing…"

* * *

Wheeljack, as promised, visited Lillian that same night. He rapped on her door lightly and waited for the young girl to open the door.

It took but a few seconds for Lillian to appear and stare at him, almost in disbelief, before stepping outside. She shut the door behind her and took his hand, leading him off the front steps to a small ways away from the house. They stood in the clearing that held her home, and she stared at the ground for a small amount of time before speaking up.

"Wheeljack, I…" She paused, looking up at him and staring into the holoform's eyes, "…I want to be completely honest with you. I'm surprised about how all of this came to be, even if it…was…unorthodox. But I want to tell you how I feel." She could see the uneasiness in his face as she spoke, "When you killed Red Alert, I…I was hurt. I didn't know what to do, or how to feel. I felt like you had betrayed me, even though I had no idea why. We weren't friends, we weren't lovers…we were enemies. But I held you accountable for all the tears, the sleepless nights, the nightmares that I had. I was so…angry with you…but I didn't hate you. I couldn't. Something deep inside me still told me that you were good, and that I should try to help you. But I was so clouded with bitterness and spite that I refused it, and pushed it deep down. In my dreams, I would see Red Alert and he would tell me to forgive you, and to be happy. That he only wanted what was best for me and that he didn't want to see me cry anymore…" She took a deep breath, watching as his eyes filled with hope, "…and so I'm taking his advice. I want…to be with you, Wheeljack. I don't know how it will work, and I don't know how we will be together, but I want to try. Life's too short to not do what you want, right? So I say…to hell with it, let's try and be happy together!" She let out a small laugh; tears had been rolling down her cheeks during her speech and she was trying not to let feelings overwhelm her.

Wheeljack, taken by surprise, suddenly rushed her and picked her up in his arms, holding her close.  
"Lillian, I promise you…I will do my best to make this work…even if I have to leave the Decepticons to do it." He whispered quietly, gently letting go to look at her. He was about to speak again when he heard soft clapping, gradually growing louder, and he looked in the direction of the sound before his eyes widened, spotting what could be his demise.

"Well, well done, Lillian. If I didn't know better I'd say this had been rehearsed and taken straight out of one of those 'love stories' you humans rave about. But please, go on…I'd love to see this happy moment extend itself into you two vowing your love for each other and swearing never to be torn apart." Sunbeam appeared from the trees, her holoform taking the shape of a tall, fit blonde with an appealing face. "…even though deep down you both know how easy it is for one of you to die…" Her eyes shifted from Wheeljack to Lillian, the holoform's mouth curling up into a small smirk.

Wheeljack didn't waste a second to switch off his holoform and return to his vehicle form, transforming into bipedal mode. Sunbeam quickly followed his actions and he growled, stepping in front of Lillian and her home protectively.  
"What the slag are you doing here, you insolent femme?" Wheeljack roared, hands curling up into fists as he prepared to protect the one fragile thing he had loved more than any other in his life.

"Didn't you know? Cloaking is my specialty." She retorted arrogantly, laughing loudly at his anger. "Oh Wheeljack, you poor fool." She held her hand out, palm up and a hologram of his and Lillian's conversation a few minutes prior began to replay. When it was done, she shut her hand as if she was crushing it, and the feedback disappeared, leaving her with a sly smirk to display. "So, Wheeljack…" She looked up to meet his optics, "…should I kill you now, or let Shockwave do it?"

"I'd like to see you try, you slagger." He responded, ushering Lillian to step back and further away from the two. It didn't take long for her to snap out of her shock and run towards the woods, hoping she would be safer there than in Sunbeam's line of vision.

"Oh, how cute." Sunbeam muttered, reaching a hand out and watching as a small cannon emerged from her palm. It fired off a single shot in the direction Lillian was running and caused a large explosion in the middle of the woods, creating a crater where trees used to be. "You can't run from me, Lillian. And _especially_ not you, Wheeljack." She stared at him, watching as he stared in the direction of the blast and yelled out Lillian's name.

* * *

Blurr and Jazz ran into the control room, where Jetfire was frantically typing things into the computer and zooming in on the giant map displayed upon the screen. They watched him for a few moments before Jazz finally spoke up and snapped him out of his zombielike trance.

"What is so urgent, Jetfire? You called us in here Code Red." The second-in-command spoke, watching as Jetfire resumed his trance for a few moments longer before chiming out a loud 'Aha!' and turning to the two 'bots, pointing at the screen.

"I was merely on watch, browsing through different traffic cameras and monitoring for any type of natural disaster when, all of a sudden, a large amount of seismic activity popped up here—" He moved his hand to a certain spot on the map, tapping it gently, "about a hundred and fifty miles away from our location."

Jazz looked at him in an annoyed manner, "So, what? You're saying that there's an earthquake that happened not too far away from here and you want us to go check it out?"

Jetfire let out a sigh, "_No_, Jazz, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm trying to tell you is that this seismic activity wasn't caused by the Earth, it was caused by something else. Something powerful enough to cause a depression in the earth and eradicate all living life in the affected area." He paused, watching as the information sunk in, "I'm saying…this could be Decepticon."

Blurr took a few steps closer to the screen, staring at the zoomed-in picture. "It's odd how they would pick a place outside city limits to do this. If they wanted to get our attention, they would have tried to harm the most humans as possible with that blast. But, instead, it's in the middle of nowhere. I'm not sure any wildlife were even affected by that random discharge."

"Or is it random? If it's Decepticon, there's definitely _some_ reason why it happened, and probably not a good one. We need to check it out." Jetfire added, getting the approval nods from both of the mechs just as Starscream walked in, Alexis hot on his heels.

"Alright…what's the fuss all about, slaggers?" Starscream uttered, getting a few disapproving looks from the three Autobots before they quickly filled him in.

"So it's done. Starscream will take to the air and Blurr and I will be on ground patrol." Jazz spoke, surprisingly professional. He had a feeling that this had to do with Lillian somehow, but didn't want to suggest it in case Alexis might hear and tell her sister, getting their hopes up. It was amazing how leader like he could be when it came to matters of the Decepticons, but he knew he was mainly doing it since Optimus wasn't here. Someone had to act the part, right?

"The rest of you stay here. Get Ratchet ready…you never know with those 'cons."

* * *

Lillian fell back due to the explosion, coughing loudly from the dust that was trying to settle again. She heaved a few times, rolling onto her side and slowly managing to sit up, eyes watering. "Oh no…how could this happen?" She whispered, crawling to the nearest tree and attempting to use it to stand up.

Once Wheeljack could feel Lillian's energy signature, he snapped his attention back to Sunbeam and growled lowly. "You'll pay for this, you slagging femme…putting your nose where it doesn't belong!" He yelled, lunging forward and pulling out his weapons to attack.

Sunbeam pulled out a gun and began to fire at him, causing a few trees to be charred in the disarray. She let out a maniacal laugh, watching as Wheeljack attempted to steer clear of the shots while firing some of his own.

The two were completely unaware to the approaching vehicles, which were a rare sight not only on the stretch of road a few ways away, but especially to the certain area they were planning on checking out.

"Starscream to Blurr and Jazz." The ex-'con spoke through the comlink, "There are two figures up ahead, both read enemy. I am also picking up a human energy signature…it's a friendly. Familiar. Most unusual out of all of this is…the 'cons are fighting each other. And the friendly is staying put in the woods."

"That is odd…" Blurr spoke up, the cabin of the sports car filling with his voice. He and Jazz didn't take long to run off the road and swerve between the trees, making an entrance by transforming into bipedal mode on either side of the two fighters. Starscream followed suit and landed behind Sunbeam, all three of the mechs aiming weapons at the two Decepticons.

"Alright, so…who would like to explain what's the frag is going on here?" Jazz spoke first, analyzing the situation. From what he could tell, both of the 'cons had been beating each other up pretty harshly and gained a few nasty bruises. He hadn't expected to run into an unknown Decepticon, much less a female one at that. As far as he knew, Shockwave, Wheeljack, and a couple other 'cons were the only ones that had arrived, which meant that there could be other Decepticons either already there or on their way from Cybertron.

Pushing this information aside, Jazz analyzed the two fighters and began trying to sort out what exactly had happened. Seeing as how neither of them was willing to talk, he opted for the best of his choices and turned to Sunbeam, nodding in her direction. "You…identify yourself." He noticed a few charred spots on her upper legs and torso, but also noted that she didn't seem to be in any position to be backing down. With Wheeljack's similar condition, the two probably knew this would end in a stalemate, but would also refuse to give up.

Sunbeam gave Jazz a quick glare before turning back to Wheeljack, putting her weapons away, "This…isn't over." She growled, suddenly warping out of the vicinity and leaving no trace of her existence.

Taking up on the opportunity, Blurr and Starscream moved closer to Wheeljack as he fell to one knee, gripping his weapon tightly.

"Disarm yourself, Decepticon." Blurr spoke up, watching as the mech made no move – either to attack or remove his weapons. Flustered, the Autobot brought up his gun to the mech's head and pressed the barrel tightly to his temple, awaiting Jazz's orders.

"NO!" A voice cried out suddenly, attracting the attention of the four bots. Lillian, bruised and slightly tattered, used a tree to hold herself up and held her right hand out towards Wheeljack, "Don't…hurt him…please…"

In awe, Blurr moved away his weapon and took a step back, watching as Wheeljack raced to her side and picked her up as if she was a fragile china doll. He brought her up to eye level and spoke in a soft tone, scanning her for any internal injuries.

"Lillian, I'm so sorry…I didn't know she followed me. I thought I covered my tracks pretty well…shows how perfectly that went." He paused, keeping a close eye on her facial expressions, "How are you feeling? I don't detect any internal bleeding or major injuries, so you must mainly have some bruises and cuts. We can take care of them…_I_ will take care of them."

"_You_?" Jazz piped up, interrupting. The three of them now surrounded Wheeljack and Lillian, and were quick to reach for their weapons. "She's coming back with us, Decepticon. Whether you like it or not."

Wheeljack, ignoring his wounds, took a step back and assumed a defensive stance, ready to fight. He could feel a rush of electricity through his circuits as his optics picked up on his opponent's movements, but a simple statement made him desist and look down at the fragile figure in his hand.

"I believe I am able to choose for myself." Lillian spoke, feeling the attention of all the mechs switch to her. She looked up and moved her gaze from Jazz, to Blurr, and finally Starscream before speaking up again.  
"I will come with you on one condition." She paused, glancing at Wheeljack once before meeting Jazz's gaze, "He comes with me, too." She sighed, shutting her eyes briefly, "I've been away from home, from everyone for far too long and I've missed all of you. But at the same time…" She opened her eyes, blinking away tears, "I refuse to leave Wheeljack behind. He has wounds, too and…if you don't let him come with me, then you'll have to let me go with him."

Jazz hesitated for a moment, giving Wheeljack a once-over before finally nodding. "Alright, but…we'll keep a close eye on him. And _you_ are riding with me. Can't chance him tryin' to take you away again." He paused, adding a quiet, "They won't be happy about this…"

* * *

The base was bustling with activity as everyone waited near the entrance. Saber was pacing to and fro, worried that something might've happened and that any of the 'bots could be hurt. She paused when she felt a hand touch her shoulder, and looked over to meet her sister's reassuring eyes. Matching her sibling's smile, Saber took a deep breath and gave her a nod of assurance, just as the loudspeaker came on and Jazz's voice filled the base.

"Open the damn do', you know we friendly!"

"Ah…he's back to normal." Iris chimed, letting out a soft laugh and watching the approaching vehicles through the installed cameras. Everything seemed right until she spotted the vehicle in the middle of the three Autobots, causing her to gasp. "Wait, is that...?"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before the mechs were inside the base, in front of the whole crew. She stood next to Nightfire who, when she spotted Wheeljack behind the 'bots, let out a loud cry.

"_HIM!_ The son-of-a who _killed_ Red Alert! What the SLAG is he doing in here?" She yelled, taking a step forward. "I hope you brought that 'con here for me to _tear_ him to pieces, because that's exactly what I plan to do!" She growled, suddenly lunging forward and trying to wedge herself between her comrades.

She didn't get much of a chance to move due to Iris' quick reflexes, grabbing the femme's arms and pulling her back. "Whoa there, big girl. I know you're anxious but you better wait for him to explain himself first." She was having a bit of a struggle to hold back the flustered Nightfire, and her load was quickly lightened when Jetfire stepped in to aid her.

"You _slagger_!" She hissed, her eyes never moving from Wheeljack, "How _dare_ you step inside this base! What you did was unforgivable…unforgivable! I will make you pay _**dearly**_ for what you've done, you fragging son-of-a-glitch!"

At that moment, Ratchet stepped into the scene and pointed one of his many medical tools at Nightfire, who quickly flinched and began to relax. "That's what I thought. And if you keep that up I'll _gladly_ be volunteering you for my _projects_ and doing **full** CPU scans on your agitated aft." He turned away from her and pointed at Lillian, "You, in my bay, now. And as for you…" He turned to Wheeljack, a buzzsaw emerging from his hand, "I may have some fixing, but you have a lot of explaining to do."

The saw roared to life, and Wheeljack could feel his circuits slowly begin to fizzle out one by one out of fear. He remembered the stories about Ratchet the Hatchet, and began to look for the nearest exit. When Jazz and Blurr began to lead him to the medical bay, Wheeljack silently began to pray.  
_"Oh, Primus…what have I gotten myself into?"_

_

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Oh my, my my! It's been a while since I've uploaded, huh guys? Well, now that it's summer, I'm going to try and upload more often (cross your fingers) and keep you guys on the edge. I'll admit, this isn't one of my favorite chapters...feels a little too much like a filler for me. But I promise, we're getting to the action! Thanks for being loyal, loves!


	23. Revealed

**Author's note:** Hello my dearest, darling, lovely readers! It's been a few weeks since my last update, and I've been so caught up in reading fanfics that I almost forgot about my own! Of course, I couldn't forget to update for you guys, so here is another chappie! There's not much action in this one but I've planned for it to occur in the next one, so don't fret. This one is a little bit of background story and feelings exposed so, without further adieu, here it is!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, other than this story, my own characters, and my imagination!

* * *

"How…how DARE he! That slagger! How _dare_ he betray the Decepticons…when I see him, I will smash him until he's nothing more than bolts and circuits." Shockwave growled, obviously flustered. For the first time in many, many millennia, the one-optic commander was displaying full emotions, which surprised not only the crew waiting outside of the main control room, but even the femme standing in front of him, who was trying with slight difficulty to hide her surprise. However, when the new leader of the Decepticons had seen her in her state, and she had relayed the news, he couldn't help but feel hot energon pump through his wires and almost short-circuit his logic-based CPU. He clenched and unclenched his hands into fists, releasing hot air through his vents and stepping away from Sunbeam and towards one of the many windows in the base. He stared out into space, his single optic dimmed slightly as he began to recover from his outburst. He wouldn't make the same mistake Megatron had of allowing an Autobot to join the Decepticon ranks – the only Decepticons in his army would be Decepticons from the beginning, arriving from Cybertron and ready to crush the opposing faction without any second thoughts or remorse. He would learn from Megatron's mistake, and use the Autobots' weakness against them – the humans.

"Decepticons…" He stated, knowing full well that the other mechs had stepped into the room, and at his voice stood at attention before their commander, "…we shall begin devising a battle plan."

* * *

Wheeljack couldn't help but feel a deep fear as he watched the medic pace to and fro in front of him. Ratchet hadn't said a word for the past fifteen minutes, and it occurred to him that perhaps the medic was trying to find some way to make his death quick and easy. His optics followed the infamous Ratchet to and fro, to and fro, until finally, he stopped dead straight ahead of him with his left side facing the recovering soldier.

"I do believe you've much to discuss with Optimus, Wheeljack…" His voice trailed off, and he brought his hand up to his chin, in a pondering manner he had picked up from the humans, "Nevertheless, your health is my concern. As of now, it seems that your systems are up and running like they normally should. However…you should try to avoid any scuffle in the next few days. And in this base, I'm sure there will be some." He spoke, recalling Nightfire's earlier outburst. He turned suddenly to face him, optics locked with his as he continued speaking in a grave manner, "Do be careful, Wheeljack. I took care of you, Hot Shot, and countless other mechs back on Cybertron, and you know just as well what the consequences are for disobeying my orders. Whoever attacked you tried in vain to implement a virus into your system through close-combat…I'm not yet sure how, but I suspect they'll try it again." Ratchet straightened up, picking up a wrench and motioning for him to leave, "Have the others send Nightfire in here, she needs an update for a very critical function."

As Wheeljack left, he couldn't help but remember that the way Ratchet had spoken to him back on Cybertron was quite similar to the way he spoke to him here, as if he'd never switched factions. _"Ratchet's a medic, always was and always will be. No matter who steps into his bay…he'll scare them to the Pit if they don't follow orders. It's nice to know at least one mech never changes around here."_ He thought, stepping through the doors of the bay and looking up to meet Blurr and Jetfire's optics. He almost felt like a newborn sparkling underneath their gaze, but quickly composed himself and straightened up, standing like the proud mech he was. "Ratchet says he wants Nightfire sent in…something about upgrades to critical functions."

Blurr turned around, pausing briefly before looking over his shoulder. "Don't consider yourself lucky yet, Wheeljack. Your betrayal will not be taken lightly…and while some of us may forgive you quickly, others will hold a grudge. You best be ready." He spoke, obviously referring to Nightfire. He turned back before heading towards where Nightfire was being closely watched by Iris, Jazz, and the two Anderson sisters.

Jetfire stepped up next, nodding once to Wheeljack before leading him in the direction of the communications room. Once the two arrived, he motioned for the mech to step up before pressing a few buttons into the computer and watching as Optimus appeared on the screen, in the same room he'd been in when he had been talking to Jazz and the announcement of his newfound fatherhood had been revealed to almost the whole base. The proud leader's optics flashed briefly as he looked at Wheeljack, before turning to Jetfire and nodding once. The second-in-command stared momentarily at Wheeljack before stepping out of the room and standing outside, crossing his arms as if he was guarding the door.

"Optimus…" Wheeljack managed to whisper, staring up at his old leader before feeling compelled to bow to one knee, but pride keeping his shoulders straight and rigid as he looked up, almost feeling a sense of honor. _"Slag, what is wrong with me? It's as if I almost feel…happy…to see him. The same way Hot Shot and I would after a gruesome battle with the Decepticons."_ He thought, turning his head to the side shortly until said leader spoke, his voice filling the room and almost causing him to shiver.

"Wheeljack…" Optimus Prime spoke, optics set on the mech before him. "It seems we've a lot to discuss."

* * *

"Alright, alright, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Nightfire yelled as she was escorted to Ratchet's medical bay. Truth was, if there was one mech in the whole _fraggin'_ universe she was scared of, it was Ratchet the Hatchet. She could face Starscream. She could face Shockwave. She could face Megatron. Hell, she could even face Unicron and still find herself more at ease then than she did now walking towards the medical wing. She didn't know how he did it, but the medic could install the _fear_ in everyone, probably even Prime. Maybe it was the fact that his tools looked so deadly…or the fact that he could easily put you into stasis and you would never wake up from the recharge. Or maybe it was the way everyone knew that the **full body scans** he performed were more frightening than being stuck in a cave full of Decepticons without your weapons loaded. Slag, as far as she knew, Optimus Prime and Ironhide were the only ones that emerged from those scans intact and without some type of CPU error, which would lead them to return to Ratchet, who would perform another scan and find nothing, and the mech would still feel unlike himself, and the cycle would continue.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize they'd been standing in front of the med-bay for a few minutes, and the mechs behind her were getting usually impatient from waiting on her.

"It's juss ol' Hatchet, Nightfire…chill ouuut. He ain't gon' keeeel ya or nothin'." Jazz spoke, trying to hide the slight tremor in his vocal processors. He stepped forward quietly before pushing the unsuspecting femme forward and through the doors, before he and Blurr made a quick exit back to the room they'd been in.

"OH YOU SLAGGERS!" Nightfire bellowed, her voice chasing them down the hall as she growled. She turned around slowly, optics widening slightly as she stared at Ratchet, holding a wrench in one hand and a saw in the other. "Oh, uh, um…hey Ratch'." She spoke, trying to sound the least terrified she could. She could almost see a gleam in his eye as he pointed to one of the benches with the wrench, and watched her carefully as she took slow, deliberate steps towards it.

"Come on Nightfire, I don't have all day…" He spoke quietly, his voice eerily calm as he set the saw down on a nearby worktable. "And you tell Jazz I heard what he spoke next time you see him…I've got a little surprise for him up ahead."

Nightfire tried not to whimper as she sat on the bench, steam escaping her vents in the form of a sigh. She couldn't help but imagine the look on Jazz's face when she relayed Ratchet's news – instant payback for what he'd done a little while earlier. She stared at the ground briefly until she heard Ratchet set his wrench down, and she slowly raised her head to meet his gaze, knowing very well what he was about to ask.

"I don't know Ratch', I really don't…I don't think I can do it. I can't act like I like him when I don't…you know me. I can't pretend he didn't…_extinguish_ my best friend's _spark_ like it was nothing. I know Red Alert did it to save the human Lillian, but I don't understand why! Why him? He's a **medic**_**, **_Ratch…medics don't die in battle! He should've stayed in the med-bay, and kept the humans there! What was he thinking? Damnit, Red Alert!" She yelled, pounding her fist onto the metal bench and causing it to emit a hollow thumping sound. She turned her head away, unsure of how all of her emotions had been spilt like water in front of Ratchet, of all people. The last time she'd tried to talk to him he'd only gotten infuriated with her…true, he had reason to by the way she had spoken about the human girl, but ever since then she'd kept her emotions hidden from _everyone_, and that especially included Ratchet.

"You're angry with him." Was Ratchet's only response, and he watched as Nightfire's shoulders straightened up slightly and she turned her optics back to look at him.

Although the mech in front of her had barely spoken any words, Nightfire could feel herself having some kind of epiphany as she stared at him, spark getting slightly warmer at his words. "You're…" She trailed off, her optics widening slightly as she froze in her spot, "…right. Primus, Ratchet, you're absolutely right. I don't know how I didn't see it before, but…it's so _wrong_. Why am I mad at him?" She paused, her facial expression molding into one of understanding as she shook her head. "I'm mad because he's gone…because he's left me here all alone. Because he made the ultimate sacrifice…one that I had planned to do for him. Slag it, Red Alert! _I'm_ the warrior! **I** should have died in battle…not you! I should've sacrificed myself to protect that human…not you. I'm mad…at myself, for not being here."

Ratchet watched her, admiring the courage she had to admit all of this to herself. "You couldn't have helped it, Nightfire. Optimus didn't know, they didn't know, we didn't know…there was no way this could've been avoided. From what I can tell…Red Alert didn't sacrifice himself for just _anyone_…" He watched as the femme's optic ridges raised in curiosity, "…he sacrificed himself for his _sparkmate_."

Nightfire stood, raising one hand to point it at Ratchet. "You mean to tell **me**…that the human Lillian is Red Alert's…sparkmate? But how is that possible? Well, I suppose it is **possible** but…completely unorthodox. And if that's the case, why is Wheeljack with her? He would've known when he killed him that…"

"Wheeljack is with her, dearest Nightfire, because he is her sparkmate as well." Ratchet spoke, seeming to be all-knowing. As a chief medical officer, he'd been trained not only in matters of armor repair and CPU viruses, but spark joinings as well. So, therefore, he knew very well when a mech had found his partner…whether said partner was in the room or not. "Even though Red Alert was already gone when we arrived, I could still smell the particular way his spark burnt his armor from the levels of heat said spark can only reach in the presence of their mate. And, in the same way, I can tell from Wheeljack's mannerisms and his obsession with Lillian that she is his sparkmate as well."

"But…but…how is that possible? Ratchet, you know as well as I that claiming another's sparkmate as their own is punishable to the full extent of Cybertronian law! Whether on Earth or Cybertron, even Decepticons honored the code. Although, if the Decepticons found out about this, they could use it to their advantage…they know his weakness."

"I wouldn't exactly call the humans a 'weakness,' Nightfire. They've aided us in many of our toils and travels…although, the Decepticons would consider them a burden they can easily take off our shoulders, and hurt us with it as well. We've got to be more careful with them now that Wheeljack is with us…whether he's staying or not. They'll try to get to all of us through the humans and hinder us in that manner, so we've got to think ahead and keep the humans safe from what could be their impending doom." He paused briefly, watching her for a moment before setting a hand on her shoulder, "But, enough of that, I'm sure Optimus, Jazz, and Jetfire have prepared something incase this happens again. Now, you have to promise me, Nightfire, that you'll behave yourself…you wouldn't want me to perform a three-hour scan for any errors on your hard drive, now would you?" He spoke lowly, almost menacingly, and smiled when Nightfire simply shook her head no and tried to hide her horror from the medic. "Alright then, now be on your way and try not to get your emotions get the best of you…" He watched her walk off almost hesitatingly, before he turned around and continued to work on his own projects, trying not to smile at the 'way he had with words.'

* * *

"Lillian, please…you have to talk to us." Saber spoke up, flustered at the way her good friend kept her mouth shut about any and all events that had happened. "Look Lillian, in order to prove Wheeljack didn't hurt you, you have to tell us what happened out there. Otherwise, all your bruises and wounds just make him seem guilty." The young woman explained, trying to get her words through to the grey-eyed beauty. She took a step back and sat down in front of the bed Lillian was sitting on the edge of, and let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes.

Lillian looked away for a moment, pondering her words. She knew Saber was telling the truth; after all, they'd found her wounded and battered after not seeing her for god knows how long. "Saber, I…" She waited for her old classmate to look up at her before continuing, "…although I can't say for sure who took me from the base, I have a feeling it was Wheeljack. It's weird, though, I mean…he took me, but then he left me at this abandoned home that was fully furnished…as if someone had simply up and left without taking anything with them. I was unconscious when he took me there, but who else could it have been? He delivered packages to me every once in a while with food and toiletries and other items, but he was watching over me from afar…he saved me from these two men in the woods once. We had an argument afterwards about it but…" Her words trailed off, and she remembered the passionate moment her and the mech had shared on the back porch of her home, giving her goosebumps. "I care about him, Saber. It's hard because he was the one who killed Red Alert, but I've never had someone go to the extent he has to try and make me happy, in his own…strange way." She stared at her old friend for a moment, her eyes tearing up, "I just don't know what to do. I'm so confused…when he…when he killed Red Alert I could've sworn he was jealous and possessive, but he seems to have changed, and…I'm just not sure what I should do."

Saber watched her carefully, choosing her following words wisely. She stood up, taking Lillian's hands in her own and staring straight in her eyes, never faltering. "Lillian, I know you'll make the right decision. You are grown, you can make your own decisions…if this is a mistake, then so be it. You can learn from it and move on…you're stronger than this, Lillian." She gave her friend's hands a gentle squeeze, "I believe you'll do the right thing. I _know_ you will. You're smart, and I won't tell you what to do, but I can give you advice. I just want you to be careful…Alexis got hurt when she first trusted Starscream, but now that he's changed, he's the best guardian she could ever have. I won't say Wheeljack will be the same…but we can only keep our hopes up."

Lillian nodded, eyes moving from Saber to the ground. "I don't want to sound naïve…but I sure hope so."

* * *

Wheeljack stepped out of the communications room with many thoughts plaguing his CPU. He was led outside by Jetfire, almost as if to be a test of whether he'd remain on base or make his swift escape. He took shelter under the shadow of a large oak tree, realizing that this was close to the spot where he'd stolen Lillian from the base, and his thoughts began to wander back to the conversation he and Optimus had exchanged.

"_Optimus hasn't changed a bit…but I can't help but feel that he knew all along that this would happen. But that's impossible; he may be a Prime but that doesn't mean he can see into the future. As for Hot Shot…"_ He paused, looking to the side and dimming his optics, _"I don't know if I'm ready to have a conversation about his betrayal. He was my best comrade; I depended on him to get me through battles as much as he did me. But he failed…he failed __**me**__."_ His thoughts wandered to Lillian, and almost as if on cue he heard slight rustling to his left, causing him to jump up and reach for his weapon before he realized she was the one who startled him. He moved his hand to rest at his side before sitting down again, noticing the way her eyes were slightly puffy from the tears and her cheeks were redder than usual. She stood there, in silence, watching him without fear or reprimand before speaking up.

"Wheeljack…" Her voice came out barely above a whisper, and she noticed the way he stared at her with a certain air of uneasiness about him. Her lips shifted to form a crooked smile and she let out a dry laugh, turning her head to the side and pressing her right hand against the exposed side of her neck. "I just…I want you to know that I understand it will be hard for the others to accept you at first. I don't want to influence your decision on whether to stay or not, but…I care about you, Wheeljack. I do. You've done so much for me in such little time…and I wanted to clear up the fact that what I said to you back at the house stands. Just, please…" She paused, turning her head back to look at him to meet his gaze and offering a wistful smile, "…don't break my heart, okay?"

Wheeljack's form stilled at her last words before his hologram appeared before her and swept her up in his arms, holding her close and pressing his face against her neck. He took a deep breath of her scent, locking the memory deep inside his central processor before he pressed his lips against the soft, tender skin. He noticed as Lillian's arms wrapped around his neck and felt as she pressed her moist lips against his cheek, pulling back slightly to meet her gaze. The two locked lips with the same fierce ardor that they had the first time, and shared an intimate moment before letting go of each other, just in time to see Wheeljack's hologram flicker and restore itself into the mech. Wheeljack took a moment to snatch the memory of Lillian's watery eyes holding a sparkle in the light, hand clutching the flowing sundress right in-between her breasts. He noticed the way her hair fluttered in the small breeze and how her lips were plump from the kiss they had just shared, eyes looking up at him with one single emotion: longing.

He could still feel the heat radiating from his spark as he whispered a lamented "I'm sorry" before transforming into his vehicle form and, with a short squeal of his tires, escaping through the same route he had used to steal the beautiful girl from the base.

Lillian stood there for a brief moment, knot in her throat as her eyes welled up with more water. She blinked away the tears before falling to her knees in disbelief, taking in a deep breath. Her body seemed to freeze until she finally came to and let out a sob, moving her hands to clutch the patches of grass beneath them and grip them as tightly as she could. Her body shook with each whimper, eyelids closed shut as strands of hair moved in front of her face, twirling with the wind. She heard the distinct sound of heavy footsteps approaching and she dared not look up; it wasn't until a pair of petite metal hands clutched her close to the familiar hum of a spark that she opened her eyes and stared up into the face of Nightfire who, unbeknownst to her and Wheeljack, had been cloaking herself nearby incase he tried to leave with her again. Lillian felt her heart get warmer at the sight and she moved her body closer to the warmth of Nightfire's spark, pressing her ear against it and closing her eyes to wipe away a few tears.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Alright, so there you have it. I'll try to get another update here in the next week or so, but my father, aunt, and I are planning to go see Santana in concern this weekend in Kansas City, so I can't guarantee much...especially with this print-based class I'm taking. However, I will do my best to write in my spare time, considering I like staying up late to write for you guys. I'll try to respond to your reviews through the personal link from now on, since I've noticed I've been at fault the past few chapters in responding at all, and I humbly apologize! Anyways, until the next chapter, and much love to you all!


	24. Shock

**Author's Note:** So…we meet again. Haha, oh man, it's been a while, hasn't it?! I've had a lot going on this past year, to be honest…you guys won't ever guess. So, here's what's been going on…I got diagnosed with Stage II squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, which is a fancy way of saying tongue cancer, in late July of last year. At the same time, I had just gotten an internship with HP where I live and they were gracious enough to let me keep my internship while I underwent treatment at M.D. Anderson in Houston, TX! I had surgery and radiation, and – being the stubborn person that I am – came back to work a week after I finished radiation which was late October. Needless to say, I've had a crazy few months. I adopted a dog, and he's the sweetest, most lazy dog ever, and I made his birthday the day I finished radiation to have two things to celebrate.

Anyways, enough about me. I'm really, really excited to get this series back up and running again. I think it's got a few more chapters left in it, so don't fret! I've decided this year is one of making changes, and one of the changes I want to make is getting back into one of the things I most enjoy doing – writing. I have three days off during the week that I have available all to myself, so best believe I'll be coming out with some chapters for you guys (if my dog doesn't paw at me to take him outside)! For those of you keeping up with my DBZ story, I'll be updating that one as well, and I've also got some ideas in the works for a Naruto story based around Gaara (for you Naruto fans out there).

Without further adieu, here's the next chappie!

PS: I don't own Transformers…although I wishy wishy wish I did!

* * *

Lillian opened her eyes, slowly, and stared at the window in her room. There was a small amount of sunshine that seeped through the blinds, and she squinted at the light before rolling over and covering her head with the blanket. "Have to get through another day." She mumbled, hugging a small pillow close to her head and letting out a sigh.

She opened her eyes again, peering into the darkness she'd made in her blanket cocoon and laying still for a while. She'd remained in her room the past few days, and other than to check up on her and bring her food, nobody had really bothered her. She figured they knew that she wanted some space, and were willing to give her some after what she'd just been through. However, she also knew that it wouldn't be much longer before Iris had her sparkling, in which case, maybe they'd just forgotten about her.

She felt miserable, and alone.

Throwing the covers off her, she hurried to the bathroom and threw her clothes off. She got in the shower and allowed the warm water to splash her skin, thinking of sitting by the ocean on a warm summer day. She imagined what she would wear, the laughter of the people nearby, and his smile.

_Damn._

She shivered despite the water's temperature and quickly finished removing the soap from her body, trying to forget the mental image that had just popped into her head. She shut off the faucet and wrapped a towel around herself, hearing a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" She called, wrapping a towel around her head.

"Saber. Can I come in?"

Lillian hesitated before walking over to the door and unlocking it. She slowly pulled it open and looked into her old friend's eyes. "Hey."

"Hey girl. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you just got out of the shower. Do you want me to come back?"

"No, it's…it's okay. Come in." Lillian stepped aside and watched as Saber walked in, moving to sit on her bed.

"I'll wait here while you get ready."

"Alright."

The two chit-chatted for a few minutes while Lillian was in the bathroom, and once she was done, she stepped out rubbing a towel on her head. "So…what's up?"

Saber looked at her old friend for a while, trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into the exact words she wanted to say. "We should talk."

Lillian mustered a half-smile, "I was afraid you would say that." She sat down next to Saber on her bed, letting the towel fall to the floor. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and she looked at her old friend, hands beginning to tremble. "I just…don't even know where to begin."

Saber scooted closer and wrapped her arms around her, "I know. Just start where you can."

Lillian's tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I just don't understand. Am I not good enough? I've been trying and trying and trying to figure it out, but I just don't get it. What's wrong with me? He doesn't want to be with me…and I want to understand why." Her words were spoken between sobs, shoulders shuddering, "But I think even if I knew why, it wouldn't get through to me. It just wouldn't. I would still be lying in my bed, crying myself to sleep over the fact that he doesn't care enough about me to even try…and I love him. I _love_ him, and I beat myself up for it every day. I fell in love with the wrong mech, and I'm paying for it…I'm paying for it with loss of sleep, a pillow that never stays dry, and a broken heart. And dear god, despite all of this…I want to see him. I want to see his face, and hug him, and kiss him, and I want him to hold me and tell me how much he wants to be with me, and that I'm good enough. That I'm good enough to be with the guy every person in this base secretly hates me for loving."

Saber looked at Lillian wide-eyed, taking in a deep breath. "I don't understand why you hold all of this in…you have to talk to someone about it, and I'm more than willing to listen. We will get you through this, I swear."

Lillian managed to calm down a bit, wiping her eyes. "It's just been so hard for me to even admit it to myself. I want to understand, but it just doesn't make sense. Twice…twice he's left me and somehow I still care about him, but I shouldn't. I'm just so screwed up. My mind and my heart won't agree; my mind is beating my heart up to get it to listen, and my heart's just choking it right back. All I can think of is 'Will he come back again?' and of how much I miss him."

Saber rubbed Lillian's back, wishing she knew how to contact Wheeljack. "I don't get why he would do this. It just doesn't make any sense…_he_ doesn't make any sense. Ugh, god I just want to hurt him!"

Lillian laughed a little, shaking her head. "If you could hurt him as much as he's hurt me…he'd be dead. He's going to want me back eventually; he'll realize his mistake…and by then it just might be too late. I'm either going to end up hating him, or apathetic. And I'm starting to lean towards hate."

* * *

Wheeljack stopped driving once he got to an abandoned warehouse, noticing a few electrical poles nearby. Out of anger, he tore one off its base and swung it toward the warehouse, watching as it crashed into a window and smashed into a few gas cans. The remaining spark from the pole crackled, and caused a roaring fire to start inside the warehouse, engulfing it within seconds. Wheeljack stared at the destruction, letting out a loud scream before falling to his knees and punching the ground a couple times, causing the ground to shake each time.

The last memory of Lillian in her sundress and the longing look in her eyes played over and over in his mind, and he finally stood and looked in the direction of the autobot base. "I want you to hate me, Lillian, so you can finally be free. I'm not good for you…I'll get you killed. Hate me and be free of me, so you can be truly happy with someone else."

The words 'someone else' caused his spark to ache, even as he spoke them. He thought about the Autobots, and what they must think. He thought about the Decepticons, and knew he couldn't go back. He would have to go rogue, or at least disappear from both of the factions' radars. He had tried to do what was best for Lillian – if she had stayed with him, the Decepticons would've only tried to use her against him and hurt her, which was a thought he couldn't imagine to bear. Yes, she was safer this way.

He turned away from the warehouse and transformed into his vehicle form, speeding off without a specific location in mind.

* * *

"Sunbeam."

The petite femme turned around suddenly, wondering who had distracted her from her analytical work. She looked up to meet the single optic of Shockwave, who stared at her for a moment longer before speaking.

"Have you gotten to analyze the best time to strike them and make the most damage?"

Sunbeam smirked, turning back to the large screen she had been working out of and pressing a key. A map of the Autobots' base popped up, and she pointed to one of the rooms. "We'll start here, and then…" her voice trailed off as she began to tell the Decepticon leader her plans.

* * *

"Ratchet! RATCHEEEEEEEEEEEET!" Iris' voice rang out from her and Jazz's room. The Autobot medic sprang up from his workstation where he was sharpening one of his drills. He ran out of the medical bay and towards Iris' voice, coming to a screeching halt when he reached her room.

"What is it?" He asked urgently, looking at the pained expression on Iris' face and glancing down to her legs, noticing that some lubricant was beginning to make trails down to her feet. His eyes widened, realizing what was happening, and he ran over to her and picked her up, carrying her bridal style to the medical bay.

"Jazz, you need to come to the medical bay. NOW." He spoke over the comm link, hearing the second-in-command respond with a quick 'roger' before he entered the sanctity of his workplace. "Alright Iris, now stay calm…you're in good hands."

* * *

"Jetfire?" Rosaline spoke up, noticing the other half of the second-in-command team staring intently at a monitor. She'd been waiting for him to say something for a few minutes, but all he did was stare with his hand on the lower half of his faceplate, as if thinking.

The young girl's eyes traveled to the monitor he was so intently bearing a hole into. She saw Iris' picture, and immediately piped up, "Is she going to have the baby soon?"

Jetfire waited a moment before answering. "That's the problem…I'm afraid that something might go wrong. I just have what you humans call a 'bad feeling' in my central processor." He paused, "I believe this may be something related to Murphy's law. I just think something will go horribly wrong, and very soon."

Rosaline waited to speak, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts. "I really hope not. I know how excited Jazz and Iris are about this baby. I just can't believe something would happen to ruin something so beautiful."

Jetfire turned and smiled at her reassuringly, "You're probably right, my rose. I might just be overreacting." He held his hand out to her and she willingly climbed in, but even as she stared up into his golden orbs with her endless cerulean eyes, he couldn't help but think, _"It's just been too quiet around here…"_

* * *

A few hours had passed by and Iris was now recharging soundly on the comfiest of the medical bay beds. Well, as comfy as one of those beds could be. Jazz watched her, listening as some clicking and whirring sounds came from the room Ratchet and his new-born sparkling were. He slowly picked up her hand, watching as she stirred only slightly, and began to speak. "We've done it, my mate. We've created the greatest and most amazing gift Primus could ever bestow…the first in millennia, but here we are. In the midst of all the war and suffering, especially on Cybertron, Primus granted us with a sparkling, and I couldn't be prouder." He smiled, squeezing gently on Iris' hand before suddenly hearing what could be described as a loud bang followed by several crashing sounds and, finally, a deep, roaring laugh. "What in the—"

Ratchet suddenly sprang from the adjacent room, pointing at Jazz with his menacing saw. "Go see what that was. I don't need any distractions and Iris needs as much recharge as she can get."

Jazz nodded, unwittingly letting go of his mate's hand and running in the direction he heard the crash.

Out of the debris and rubble came forth Shockwave, followed by Sunbeam and the two seekers who were laughing as if this were all part of an inside joke. And, in a sense, it was.

"Come on Autoscum! Where ya hidin'?!" Thundercracker roared, followed by Skywarp.

"I bet they're all too afraid to come out. Or maybe they're all with that femme, which would make it easier on us to kill them all at once! Right Thundercracker?" He boasted, proud of himself for thinking up such a 'complex' strategy.

"Silence, Skywarp. We need to find the femme and exterminate her before she bears the sparkling." Shockwave spat, looking toward Sunbeam and watching as the femme nodded and slowly began to camouflage herself into the surroundings, becoming invisible. _"Find her, Sunbeam. Find her and rip that Autobot sparkling out along with her still-heated spark."_ He dwelled on the image for a moment and, if he'd had lips, he would've licked them. "You two. Begin searching for energy signatures. The humans will most likely be with their guardians…kill them first, and make sure that the piece-of-slag Autobot watches it."

The two seekers responded with a quick, "Yes, sir" before taking off together towards the first energy signature they could find.

Shockwave began to scan for energy signatures himself, picking up on one that was by itself nearby. He sprang towards it, locating the room quickly and ripping the security system out that was next to the door. The large door opened suddenly, revealing a very wide-eyed and frightened Lillian.

Shockwave let out a low chuckle, "Well well, if it isn't the insignificant human that Wheeljack betrayed us for. It will be quite a treat tearing you limb from limb. That will teach Wheeljack to betray the Decepticons." He walked slowly towards her, reaching his hand out to grab the unmoving girl into his claw.

A single bullet stopped him, hitting exactly the middle of his hand. Lillian managed to wake herself up for long enough to look and see who had saved her. Her eyes widened when she saw Nightfire, with her gun pointed straight at Shockwave's single optic.

"I wouldn't try to touch one hair on her head if I were you, Shockwave. You should know it's not often that I miss." Nightfire motioned for Lillian to run to her with her free hand, which the human girl did not think twice about. Within seconds, she was at Nightfire's side. "So, Shockwave, care to explain what in the frag you're doing here?"

* * *

Thundercracker stood before a damaged Jetfire, holding Rosaline in her hands and squeezing her enough to make her scream, but not break any bones. Yet. "Feel helpless yet, Autobot slagger?" He laughed, "How does it feel to be in charge of protecting someone's life, yet know that you have to watch them die before your very optics?"

Jetfire struggled to get out of Skywarp's grasp. They had taken him by surprise as he was returning from his holoform to robot form, not too long after both him and Rosaline had heard the crash. "Slagger…" He uttered, energon seeping from various parts of his body as he tried to reach a hand out to his mate. "Rosaline, I'm…I'm so sorry." He whispered, watching as the young, blue-eyed girl coughed up some blood.

Rosaline looked at him, reaching a feeble hand out, "Jetfire…I…" She shuddered, trembling and wondering why it was so cold inside the room. She blinked and leaned her head forward slightly, locks of her curly blonde hair falling in front of her face. Locks now stained with bits of crimson. She managed a small smile, mouthing the words 'I love you' before falling unconscious.

Jetfire felt anger rise within him at the sight of his mate's body limp in Skywarp's hand. He tried to move but his strength was slowly leaving him with every drop of energon he lost. _"Damn, how could I be so weak? I'm supposed to be the second-in-command, yet I can't even take care of my own mate." _He thought angrily, curling his digits up into a fist and rising slowly, pulling out his weapon. "You fragger, you'll pay for this…" Just as he took a step forward, he noticed a pair of red optics, and shortly afterwards Skywarp's face was promptly pushed against a wall. His optics widened when Skywarp lost his grip on Rosaline, but it wasn't long after that Starscream reached a hand out and grabbed her, albeit carefully, and skidded to a halt. This all happened within a matter of seconds.

"Jetfire," Starscream's raspy voice spoke up, "Take your charge and get to the medbay. The medic is there, and we've already commanded for the humans to go there as well. My Alexis is there helping. I'll take care of this fragger."

Jetfire could almost feel a smile in Starscream's voice. Skywarp was one of the three seekers back in Cybertron, along with Starscream and Thundercracker. He was sure the ex-'con would enjoy this fight. Without another word nor thought, he took Rosaline in his hand and used his remaining strength to trudge towards the med bay, but not without looking back once to see Starscream begin his rampage on the Decepticon.

* * *

Blurr loomed over Thundercracker's still form, noting that the Decepticon had fallen unconscious. He gave a small chuckle, wiping away some energon from his chin and ignoring the whirs and clicks his body made from the wounds of battle. He knew Saber would be safe in the med bay with Ratchet, he just hoped nobody would think of going there first. He had heard Nightfire's words to Shockwave over the comm. link, so he began to head to where she had given him her coordinates. As he got closer to the room, he watched Lillian's small body zoom past him in the direction of the med bay. He would check on Nightfire and then head to the med bay to provide backup. Yes, that was a good plan.

When he arrived, he noticed both Shockwave and Nightfire looked worn to hell. He hurried to Nightfire's side, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Shockwave's single optic.

"You're not at all like your sibling, Nightfire," Shockwave managed to cackle, "She's not as ruthless physically, but she's definitely a threat strategically. I have to say I admire that about her."

Blurr froze. A sibling? As far as he could remember, there was nothing in Nightfire's personal file about a sibling.

"Shut UP you Decepticon slagger!" She screeched, pointing her gun at him still. "I have no sister. She's dead. DEAD, you hear me?" She tried to fire a bullet but her hand began to tremble. "She's dead to me." She uttered lowly, more like an angry, resentful hiss than actual spoken words.

Blurr's optics widened, but he didn't have time to speak up when he heard Ratchet over the comm. link. "Autobots, backup is needed in the medical bay. We have only weakened or wounded soldiers, and there is a Decepticon femme attempting to get in. Assistance is needed _immediately_."

"Go, I can handle this." Nightfire yelled before even giving Blurr a chance to ask if she needed aid. _"A Decepticon femme…it couldn't be…"_ She thought, never moving her optics off of Shockwave. She heard Blurr's hurried footsteps head towards the medical bay, and smirked. "So, Shockwave…what are you really here for?"

"Well, if I told you that, it wouldn't be much of a strategy, now would it?" He growled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he kept his own gun pointed at Nightfire. "It seems we're at a stalemate, Autobot _femme_," He spat the last word with venom, watching as Nightfire's optics narrowed to glare at him. _"Good. I'm getting her angry."_

* * *

"NO!" Iris screamed, holding a small figure in her arms. She had been woken up by the noises from the humans, and ran immediately, against Ratchet's wishes, to her sparkling. The sparkling was about the size of a minicon, deep in stasis as it ignored the rest of the world. Iris told herself she wouldn't let any harm come to him, even if it cost her her life, and at this point she was willing to do anything to protect the innocent being in her arms. It would be a few years for him to be a full-fledged adult Autobot, and she couldn't help but think of the possibility that he might not ever get there.

"_No,"_ she thought, pressing the small body closer to her, _"I will not let that happen."_

It was around that time that Jazz appeared, with Blurr following close behind. Sunbeam had already managed to get into the medical bay, and laughed loudly as she watched Ratchet step in front of the humans. _"Stupid medic, it's not them I want."_ She smirked, optics sliding over to Iris' weakened form and pointed her weapon directly at her. "Bang." She whispered, not giving anyone enough time to react before the bullet hit.

Iris felt her heart drop as the bullet moved closer, and prepared herself for the feeling of hot, searing pain through her processors, which never came. It took her a second to realize her mate had stepped in front of her, and even blocked two more bullets that Sunbeam had shot. How was she so fast?

Jazz fell to his knees, the three bullets hitting critical points on his body and causing him to let out a yell of pain. This, in turn, caused the sparkling to stir and wake suddenly, emitting loud, upsetting cries. Jazz couldn't help but smirk and utter, "He's got his mother's vocal processor," before falling forward and releasing himself into a deep stasis, to try and make the least damage to his body possible.

Blurr wasted no time using Sunbeam's small moment of victory to take her by surprise and put up his gun behind her head. "Stop laughing, Decepticon. This fight isn't over." He began to pull the trigger when she suddenly disappeared, seemingly into a warp gate and most likely on Shockwave's orders. Blurr smirked slightly – maybe that meant Nightfire had won. He quickly ignored the fleeting thought and ran to his fellow soldier's side, turning him over and picking him up. "Fragging Decepticons," He spat, setting Jazz down on a medbay bed and watching as Ratchet began to immediately work on him.

* * *

Iris couldn't move. She felt like everything was moving in slow motion, and the video of Jazz getting hurt directly in front of her replayed before her eyes like a scratched record. She could only stand, clutching the small, crying sparkling in her arms as tight as she could without hurting him, her jaw slightly agape. Her breath came out in shallow increments, then slowly rose to hyperventilation. She didn't know it was possible for an autonomous robotic being to feel out of breath, but she felt like someone had 'knocked the wind out of her,' as the humans called it. She shut her optics and opened them, trying to make the image go away but it didn't, and she began to wonder if it ever would. Was her CPU malfunctioning?

It took the soft voice of a young human girl to wake her.

"Iris? Are you okay?" Alexis quipped, knowing the answer was no, but trying to get any type of response from her.

Iris turned her optics to look at the girl, narrowing them as if she was trying to figure out what she was. She felt like she had lost her memory, and the only one she had was the one of her mate getting critically injured. _"She's asking me something,"_ She watched Alexis' lips move, repeating her question, _"What is she saying? I can't hear…I can't hear her,"_ She turned her head to the side, beginning to wonder if she had gone deaf. Maybe she'd always been deaf, and blind, and this was all a dream. Yes, this was all in her head and she would wake up, and Jazz would be there holding their sparkling with his stupid grin.

She smiled. She loved his grin. The way it made his mouth look, the way it was only meant for her. He would be there and their miracle sparkling would be sleeping peacefully, not crying.

What was that crying? She couldn't understand. She moved her optics from the girl and began to scan for the source. Why wouldn't it stop? What was wrong? She felt compelled to help, but didn't know how.

She heard a small voice, she could almost understand it this time.

"**I don't…I don't think she can hear me."**

Who were they talking about? Maybe she could help them too. Why the frag was everything moving so slowly?

"**I think she's in shock, Alexis. Blurr, help lay her down while I try to care for Jazz."**

Jazz? Was he there? Why couldn't she see him? All she could see were hazy outlines of things, things that moved. One was moving towards her. She flinched, moving the object in her arms away automatically, something telling her to protect. It was only then she remembered there was something in her arms, and she looked at it. She tried to adjust her optics but it was no use, it only looked like a smaller version of Jazz. And of…her? What was it? Why was it crying?

"Shush, little one," the words came suddenly to her, "I will help you."

The crying stopped. She looked up and stared into red optics and allowed them to remove the small Autobot from her arms. The eyes were comforting for some reason.

"**Starscream, take the sparkling while I try to help Iris." **

Starscream…wasn't that the enemy? Why were they giving her little one to them? She became frantic.

"Give him back to me, give him back!" she yelled, reaching her arms out for the small body, "He's mine! Don't take him from me, please! Where's Jazz?! Why isn't he helping me?! JAZZ!" She squirmed in someone's grasp, then felt a thin, needle-like object being pushed into her neck. She slumped in their arms, and her CPU suddenly felt as if it was flooded with water. She tried to look around, but things were moving even slower than before.

"Give him to me…Jazz, tell them…please, you're all I have…" Her words came out in slurs, and she felt herself being eased onto a recharge bed. She could barely hear the voices now.

"**Will she be okay?"**

"**She'll be fine," she heard a voice say, seeming to belong to the shadow looming over her, "She's a fighter."**

* * *

Author's Note: DUN DUN DUN! What will happen to Jazz? How is Jetfire? Will Iris ever be her normal self again? Find out next time! As always, thank you for reading, and I will try to update more often (I know I always say that, but this time it really IS my escape from real life :D ). Review if you feel like, and I am glad to be back! Much love, my lovely readers!


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